Persian Gulf Oil Export Fact Sheet

Energy Information Administration

United States
Energy Information Administration

February 1998
PERSIAN GULF OIL EXPORT FACT SHEET
The Persian Gulf countries (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates produce 26 percent of the world's oil, while holding 65 percent of the world's oil reserves. For the first 9 months of 1997, Persian Gulf net oil exports to OECD countries were up over 0.4 million barrels per day (mmbd) from the same period in 1996 to nearly 9.7 mmbd.

U.S. net oil imports from the Persian Gulf for the first 9 months of 1997 rose to 1.73 mmbd from 1.60 mmbd during the same period in 1996. Since rising from a 25-year low of 0.31 mmbd in 1985 to 1.97 mmbd in 1990, U.S. imports from the Persian Gulf as a percentage of demand declined gradually through 1996, until increasing in the first 9 months of 1997 (see graph). For the first 9 months of 1997, U.S. net oil imports from the Persian Gulf rose by over 0.12 mmbd from the same period in 1996.









For the first 9 months of 1997, Persian Gulf countries accounted for 19.2 percent of U.S. net oil imports, up slightly from 18.9 percent in 1996. Again, Saudi Arabia supplied the vast majority (about 82.5 percent) of these imports. Overall, Persian Gulf countries exported 16.1 mmbd of oil in the first 9 months of 1997. Saudi Arabia accounted for half of that total, with Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait each exporting at least 2 mmbd (see graph).










Imports from the Persian Gulf Region
As Percent of Demand As Percent of Net Oil Imports
US W. Europe Japan US W. Europe Japan
1983 2.9 27 60 10.3 41 60
1984 3.2 25 61 10.7 39 61
1985 2.0 22 58 7.3 35 59
1986 5.6 29 58 16.8 45 58
1987 6.5 27 59 18.2 43 60
1988 8.9 28 57 23.4 44 58
1989 10.7 30 64 25.8 47 63
1990 11.6 31 66 27.5 48 65
1991 11.0 27 64 27.8 43 64
1992 10.4 27 66 25.6 43 66
1993 10.3 30 69 23.4 50 68
1994 9.8 26 70 21.5 48 68
1995 8.9 24 70 19.9 47 70
1996 8.8 22 69 18.9 43 70
1997 9.3 23 74 19.2 45 72

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File last modified: February 23, 1998

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