Saudi Arabia's crude oil production fell sharply again in April, reaching its lowest level since the 1990 Gulf War. The ongoing conflict in Iran continues to block export routes through the Persian Gulf, pushing global crude supply toward a new crisis.
According to the April monthly report from the OPEC Secretariat obtained by Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia reported its daily crude output to the organization dropped to 6.316 million barrels, a month-on-month decrease of 651,000 barrels. Since February, Saudi production has cumulatively declined by 42%, hitting a historic low not seen since the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
The blockade of Persian Gulf shipping lanes due to the Iran conflict has caused record declines in output from major producers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. International fuel prices have surged significantly, raising the risk of a global recession.
Simultaneously, OPEC revised down its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 in the monthly report, projecting an annual increase of 1.2 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency predicts global oil demand will contract this year, with a decline of 420,000 barrels per day.
Saudi production hits a 36-year low, OPEC overall output contracts significantly.
The OPEC monthly report shows Saudi Arabia's daily crude output fell to 6.316 million barrels in April, the lowest since 1990. Saudi Arabia also reported to OPEC that its "actual market supply," excluding injections into reserves, was slightly higher than production, reaching 6.879 million barrels per day.
In addition to official data submitted directly by member countries to the Vienna Secretariat, the OPEC monthly report includes a set of "secondary source" estimates compiled by external consulting agencies and media. These estimates indicate Saudi Arabia's April production was slightly higher than the officially reported figure, at approximately 6.768 million barrels per day.
Secondary source estimates show OPEC member countries' overall production continued to decline in April, with daily output dropping sharply by 1.727 million barrels month-on-month to 18.98 million barrels. Saudi Arabia alone contributed about half of this decline. The ongoing supply disruptions since February have significantly pressured OPEC's overall output.
The blockage of Persian Gulf export routes has hit major producers like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq the hardest, severely constraining their export capacity. The scale of this impact is unprecedented in history.
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