Wright says 18 million barrels moved through Hormuz in a single day
The figure is nearly double the 10 million barrel daily average the Energy Secretary cited earlier, even as a Saudi pipeline that bypasses the strait stays offline.
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Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz, Abqaiq
UpdateWednesday, September 16, 2026 at 8:40 AM ET
Wright said the seven-day average flow through the Strait of Hormuz has risen to 11 million barrels a day, up from the 10 million barrel average he cited earlier. The figure confirms his earlier forecast that the rolling average would keep climbing, and sits well below the 18 million barrel single-day figure he also reported.
Energy Secretary Wright said 18 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. Wright had previously said the 7-day rolling average of flows through the strait was climbing and expected to keep rising.
The new figure is close to double the 10 million barrel daily average Wright cited earlier, pointing to a sharp one-day surge rather than a lasting shift. Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, which bypasses Hormuz and normally carries 4 to 5 million barrels a day, remains offline after an attack, and the repair timeline has since lengthened from three-to-five weeks to six-to-eight weeks.
Security incidents around the strait have continued. The tanker El Gaia was hit by sea mines off Hormuz and caught fire, days after the US said it had cleared the strait of mines, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said. The Guard has also claimed a fourth drone shootdown in four days near the strait, a claim carried by Iranian state media and not confirmed by the US military.
Brent crude rose 1.26% to $105.93 a barrel and WTI gained 1.47% to $101.52 after Saudi Arabia shut the pipeline, according to market tape. Against that backdrop, one day of higher throughput through Hormuz does not resolve the underlying constraint on supply, with the pipeline still down and Iran's new vessel restrictions adding friction. Current prices are likely already reflecting the temporary uptick Wright described.