Shell CEO: Middle East oil flows have recovered to over 80% of pre-war levels.

Shell CEO Wael Sawan said oil flows in the Middle East have now recovered to around 80% of pre-conflict levels, one of the most authoritative assessments of the region's energy export recovery to date. Sawan spoke at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London on Tuesday, noting: "Despite all that has happened, we have now recovered to over 80% of pre-war levels, which demonstrates that many countries in the region still boast strong resilience and can continue to fulfill their commitment to supplying energy to the global market." While several major banks and shipping data analytics firms also hold that Middle East oil flows are approaching pre-conflict levels, the market remains divided on the exact scale of the recovery. Accurately counting the number of vessels actually transiting the Strait of Hormuz and parts of the Red Sea is challenging, as many ships frequently disable their satellite positioning signals, making it harder for external parties to calculate the precise volume of cargo transported.