OPEC output jumps by 1.78 million barrels a day despite pipeline attacks and export disruptions

Seven members of the OPEC+ alliance agreed to raise production in September 2026. OPEC+ brings together OPEC countries and non-member allies including Russia.

The planned increase collided with disruptions in the Middle East. Attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline interrupted shipments from Yanbu, the Saudi Red Sea port, in September 2026.

The pipeline carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oilfields to the Red Sea, offering an alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. After the attack, Aramco suspended October deliveries under long-term contracts to some European refiners.

Even so, OPEC’s crude production increased by 1.78 million barrels per day month-on-month to 21.49 million bpd in September 2026, according to a Reuters survey. Saudi Arabia and Iraq accounted for the largest production increases.

The rise came amid export disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran and continuing conflict in the Middle East. The US has imposed a blockade on Iranian oil shipments. Those pressures prevented OPEC+ from fully carrying out its production plans.

Iraq was also seeking to have its future OPEC+ target based on production capacity of 6 million barrels per day. It has pursued export routes through Türkiye and Syria as it tries to reduce reliance on southern terminals and Gulf shipping.

OPEC decided to leave its oil production targets unchanged for November. The Reuters survey was based on information from oil-flow tracking firms, oil-company and OPEC sources, and industry consultants.

The September increase shows that agreed output can rise even while conflict restricts infrastructure and shipping. For buyers, producers and traders, the central question is how much of that additional production can reach the market.