Barclays: Prolonged Hormuz Blockage Could Wipe Out 14 Million Bpd of Oil Supply
03.27.2026 By Tank Terminals - NEWS

March 27, 2026 [Oil Price]- The global oil market could lose up to 14 million barrels per day (bpd) of supply if the blockage at the Strait of Hormuz extends for more weeks, according to Barclays.

 

A prolonged disruption at the world’s most vital oil chokepoint is set to lead to 13-14 million bpd of supply losses—an immense shock, the UK-based investment bank said in a note on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.

However, both the magnitude of the supply loss and the duration of the Hormuz closure are highly uncertain, Barclays analysts noted.

“Notwithstanding uncertainty about the ceasefire negotiations, in our base case, we expect traffic through the Strait to normalize by early April, which would be consistent with Brent averaging $85/b in 2026,” they wrote.

But if the blockage extends into the end of April, Brent Crude could reprice to $100 per barrel, and further up to $110 a barrel if the closure extends through May, according to Barclays.

Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs said that the supply losses from the Iran War could peak at about 17 million bpd, as it raised its 2026 average price forecasts for both Brent and West Texas Intermediate benchmarks.

Early on Thursday in Asian trade, Brent Crude prices were trading at $105 per barrel, up by 3%, after signals emerged that Iran may not be interested in holding talks on a ceasefire.

WTI Crude was also up 3% at $93 per barrel, as the U.S. benchmark continues to trade at a major discount to Brent amid the frantic search of Brent-linked crudes in Asia, where supply shortages are already being acutely felt.

By 20 March, supply disruptions in the Middle East reached 10.7 million bpd, according to Kpler’s estimates. These could rise to as much as 11.5 million bpd by late March and remain at that level throughout April if the situation in the Strait of Hormuz does not improve, Kpler’s analyst said, noting that short-term fixes to the supply loss, such as stocks release and sanctions relief “can only delay, not offset, the growing structural deficit.”

 

TankTerminals.com is a market research platform with not only manager-level contact details but also logistical, operational, infrastructural and shipping data of more than +10,100 tank terminals and +6,200 production facilities worldwide.

 

Access data. Decide better. See how.

China’s Crude Imports Set to Hit Weakest Level Since 2016
06.26.2026 - NEWS
June 26, 2026 [Oil Price]- Chinese crude oil imports this month are on course to book an even wea... Read More
Russia's Gazprom Forecasts Core Profit to Rise 6-7% in 2026
06.26.2026 - NEWS
June 26, 2026 [Reuters]- Russian energy giant Gazprom said ‌it expects growth of 6-7% in core e... Read More
Saudi Aramco Resumes Oil Loading at Ras Tanura in Boost to Supply
06.26.2026 - NEWS
June 26, 2026 [Reuters]- Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal... Read More
Introducing the Senator H80 Series: Powerful, High-precision 80 GHz Radar for Liquids & Solids
06.26.2026 - NEWS
June 26, 2026 [Storage Terminals Magazine]- HAWK Measurement Systems has introduced the Senator H... Read More