Global diesel shortage: why Gulf refined fuel exports lag crude oil shipments
Por Emma Ma — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Energy Economy Global Economy Global diesel shortage: why Gulf refined fuel exports lag crude oil shipments
From shipping bottlenecks to strikes on refineries, analysts warn the market faces a prolonged recovery
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Emma Ma in Shanghai Published: 7:00pm, 12 Oct 2026
Global diesel prices remain near record highs as Gulf producers struggle to restore refined-fuel exports, despite a recovery in crude shipments and pledges by more countries to release reserves.
Net diesel exports from Gulf countries averaged 390,000 barrels per day in August, just over a quarter of their levels before the US-Israel war on Iran , according to the latest available data by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published in September.
One obstacle to recovery is that Persian Gulf infrastructure is geared towards crude oil, making it harder to ship diesel and other refined fuels, analysts said.
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