Oil prices fall after U.S. says crude exports through Strait of Hormuz near 9 million barrels per day

Cnbc · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 13, 2026 · 441 words · By Spencer Kimball; Justina Lee; Chloe Taylor

Global Oil Market Volatility U.S.-Iran Geopolitical Conflict Data Conflict in Energy Reporting

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What to know about Global Oil Market Volatility

Oil prices fell Thursday after Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed that exports through the Strait of Hormuz are higher than many independent estimates.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left17%

Center83%

Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Oil prices fell Thursday after Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed that exports through the Strait of Hormuz are higher than many independent estimates.

Why it matters

West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.4% to close at $81.25 per barrel.

Common ground

Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost about 2% to settle at $87.07.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Doubt: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Global Oil Market Volatility story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Oil demand is expected to fall by 1.6 million barrels per day this year, about 510,000 bpd more than previously anticipated, according to the International Energy Agency?
How does this story connect Global Oil Market Volatility with U.S.-Iran Geopolitical Conflict over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/13/oil-spill-near-oman-worries-over-supply-.html

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Doubt 60% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing doubt helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

schedule Pending 3

verified Verified By Reference 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info

Claim 1: “Oil demand is expected to fall by 1.6 million barrels per day this year, about 510,000 bpd more than previously anticipated, according to the International Energy Agency.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for 'International' are generic dictionary definitions and do not contain any IEA data regarding oil demand falling by 1.6 million bpd.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — International Look up International or international in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — International mostly means something (a company, language, or organization) involving more than a single country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompas…
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — International Motors, LLC (formerly Navistar International Corporation) is an American manufacturer of commercial vehicles and engines, established in 1986 as a successor to the International Harveste…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Motors

info

Claim 2: “Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost about 2% to settle at $87.07.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence shows Brent crude at 89.27 USD as of August 28, 2026, but does not confirm a settlement price of $87.07 or a 2% loss.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Historically, Brent crude oil reached an all time high of 147.50 in July of 2008. Brent crude oil - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on August 28 of 2026.
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/brent-crude-oil

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Track the current Brent crude oil price with the live UKOIL chart. Read market news and explore analysis, trading ideas, and forecasts for Brent crude.
https://www.tradingview.com/symbols/UKOIL/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brent Crude Oil. As of Aug 28 2026 04:34 BST. 89.27 USD.Brent Crude Oil Ethanol Heating Oil Natural Gas RBOB Gasoline WTI Crude Oil Copper COMEX Gold Palladium Platinum Silver 5000oz Iron ore Cattle C…
https://markets.ft.com/data/commodities/tearsheet/summary?c=…

verified

Claim 3: “U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.4% to close at $81.25 per barrel.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While web search results provide general WTI price data (e.g., 81.09), none of the provided evidence sources confirm the specific closing price of $81.25 or the exact 2.4% decrease mentioned in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi forces in the Arabian Peninsula, including the southern Saudi prov…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi–Saudi_Arabian_conflict

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Southwest Region is one of ten United States regions that currently send teams to the Little League World Series, the largest youth baseball competition in the world. The region's participation in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_League_World_Series_(So…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a grade or mix of crude oil; the term is also used to refer to the spot price, the futures price, or assessed price for that oil. In colloquial usage, WTI usually refe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Texas_Intermediate

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 4: “Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen, meanwhile, claimed Thursday that they targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia's Jizan region with drones.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 5: “TD Securities, for example, has put Hormuz exports at around 5 million bpd.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one source (#Mezha) mentions that fleet-tracking services estimate exports through the Strait of Hormuz at roughly 5 million barrels per day. Other sources discuss the 9 million figure from the US government, creating a discrepancy, but the specific TD Securities attribution is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided text.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To wit, the Trump administration announced that oil flows through Hormuz have significantly rebounded now that the president controls the strait. But an article on the reliable Oilprice.com asks, “Hav…
https://www.thedailydoom.com/p/oil-soars-back-above-90bb-as-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Meanwhile, fleet-tracking services estimate actual exports through the Strait of Hormuz at roughly 5 million barrels per day. This volume includes “dark” voyages without proper signals and the transfe…
https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/26a29666_asia_faces_a/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz, through which an average of 20 million barrels per day (mb/d) of crude oil and oil products were shipped in 2025, is one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints.
https://www.iea.org/about/oil-security-and-emergency-respons…

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Claim 6: “Exports from the Gulf rise to around 15 million bpd when pipeline flows are included, he said.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm Secretary Wright's claim that Gulf oil exports reach approximately 15 million barrels per day when including pipeline flows.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oil flows from the Gulf region have climbed to approximately 15 million barrels per day, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Tuesday, attributing the increase to coordinated efforts between the U…
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/gulf-oil-flows-hit-15-mil…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has announced that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain at elevated levels, with an average of around 9 million barrels per day passing through the strait ove…
https://english.ajel.sa/business/vnh8aloql

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US military helped move over 15 million barrels of oil and products out of the strait, with total regional exports, including pipelines, closer to 20 million …
https://investinglive.com/commodities/dark-transits-and-tank…

help

Claim 7: “attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea this week.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.

check_circle

Claim 8: “Oil exports through Hormuz have neared a seven-day average of 9 million barrels per day, Wright said Wednesday.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Ajel English, CNN, The Epoch Times) confirm that US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz averaged around 9 million barrels per day over the past seven days.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Christopher Allen Wright (born January 15, 1965) is an American businessman and government official serving as the 17th United States secretary of energy since February 2025. Before leading the U.S. D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Wright

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. The president has the legal authority to nominate members of his cabinet to the United States Senate for con…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_cabinet_of_Donald_Trump

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 9: “Prices are up about 4% this week”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions oil prices heading for a 'second weekly gain', but no source provides the specific figure of a 4% increase for the current week.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oil Price: Get all information on the Price of Oil including News, Charts and Realtime Quotes.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oil prices are heading for a second consecutive weekly gain as renewed U.S. pressure on Iran and continued disruptions to Middle East crude flows keep supply concerns at the center of the market. WTI …
https://mansfield.energy/2026/08/21/oil-prices-head-for-seco…

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web search NEUTRAL — Follow Oil (WTI) news, technical and fundamental analysis, charts and forecasts from FXStreet experts.Supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of …
https://www.fxstreet.com/commodities/oil

schedule

Claim 10: “President Donald Trump, meanwhile, claimed the U.S. has total control over Hormuz.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 11: “Supply was 6.3 million bpd lower year-on-year in July with 8.3 million bpd of Gulf production shut in, it said.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.

schedule

Claim 12: “Tehran claims that it has closed the strait and it will only reopen the waterway after Washington meets its demands.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “About 20 million bpd of oil and products moved through Hormuz before the war.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The IEA (International Energy Agency) and other sources confirm that an average of 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and products passed through the Strait of Hormuz (specifically cited for 2025).

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Iran war, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has led to what the International Energy Agency has characterized as the "largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_the_2026_Ir…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.