Strait of Hormuz oil flows may remain disrupted into 2027, EIA says

Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are expected to remain severely disrupted in the near term, according to a forecast by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The report projects that crude oil flows through the strategic waterway could begin to resume in the third quarter of 2026. However, it warns that a return to pre-conflict shipping levels would likely take several months and is not expected before early 2027.

The EIA also cautioned that portions of oil production in the Middle East may continue to face disruptions even beyond the forecast period, reflecting ongoing uncertainty in the region’s energy supply outlook.

By Sabina Mammadli