US Petroleum Exports Reach Record 13.6 Million Bpd in April on Hormuz-Driven Demand and Gulf Coast Surge

US petroleum exports reached 13.6 million barrels per day in April 2026, the highest monthly total on record according to the Energy Information Administration Petroleum Supply Monthly published June 30, 2026. April exceeded the previous record set in March 2026 by 15%. The surge runs 26% above January 2026 export volumes of 10.8 million barrels per day. The EIA attributed the increase to disruptions in global crude and refined product flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Coast Absorbs 88.5% of Total US Export Volume

The Gulf Coast, classified as Petroleum Administration for Defense District 3, shipped 12.04 million barrels per day in April 2026. That single region captured 88.5% of total US petroleum exports that month. The four remaining PADD regions combined contributed 1.57 million barrels per day: East Coast 631,000 barrels per day, Midwest 492,000, West Coast 434,000, and Rocky Mountain 10,000. The Gulf Coast share reflects decades of terminal investment, pipeline buildout from the Permian Basin, and the removal of federal export restrictions in December 2015.

Hormuz Disruption Channeled Global Buying to US Gulf Terminals

Buyers unable to source Persian Gulf crude shifted purchase volumes to US Gulf Coast suppliers, driving April exports 1.74 million barrels per day above March. That one-month gain exceeds the total export capacity of most mid-sized producing nations. Oil Authority reported this week that Goldman Sachs elevated its $130 Brent scenario to its active forecast after Iran closed the strait; the April export record is the physical expression of that demand shift, as that report details. A Baker Hughes count published July 10 showed US drilling holding at 581 rigs, the stable base that keeps production volumes available for Gulf Coast terminals to ship.

US Production Leadership Underpins the Export Capacity

The EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook published July 7, 2026 projects US crude oil production at 13.8 million barrels per day for 2026, rising to 14.0 million barrels per day in 2027. The US held its position as the world largest crude oil producer in 2025, a streak that began in 2018 when domestic output first exceeded Russia, according to EIA international statistics published July 9, 2026. Permian Basin output feeds Gulf Coast export terminals through a network of long-haul pipelines, making the basin the primary engine of US export growth. That feedstock reliability is what enabled Gulf Coast terminals to absorb the Hormuz-driven demand surge in April.

WTI Settled at $71.41 on Friday, Brent at $76.01

WTI crude settled at $71.41 per barrel on Friday, July 10, down 0.93% on the session. Brent crude settled at $76.01 per barrel, a decline of 0.38%. The $4.60 Brent premium over WTI reflects Brent greater sensitivity to Hormuz routing risk. WTI draws on landlocked North American supply and is far less exposed to Persian Gulf transit disruptions than the Brent benchmark. At $4.60 below Brent, WTI-linked Gulf Coast crude holds a pricing advantage over North Sea and West African grades, reinforcing the export pull for US barrels.

EIA Revised 2026 Brent to $82, But Ceasefire Ended July 8

The EIA July 7 STEO cut its 2026 Brent average forecast to $82 per barrel, from $95 in June, after the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed June 18 reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The outlook also trimmed the 2027 Brent forecast to $65 from $79. US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over on July 8, following fresh military exchanges. A return of Hormuz disruptions would reverse the supply assumptions behind the $82 forecast and could regenerate the demand premium that drove April export volumes to their record level.