RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production rose to 8.95 million barrels per day in February, marking a 0.34 percent monthly increase, according to the latest release from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative.
Crude exports also climbed during the same period, rising 7.81 percent to reach 6.55 million bpd, the report showed.
Refinery crude exports rose by 5.39 percent month on month in February to 1.41 million bpd, reflecting a 1.29 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The uptick was driven primarily by diesel shipments, which jumped 24.4 percent from the previous month to 668,000 bpd.
Key refined products included diesel, motor gasoline, aviation gasoline, and fuel oil. Diesel accounted for the largest share of refined product exports at 47 percent, followed by motor and aviation gasoline at 18 percent, and fuel oil at 14 percent.
Total refinery output reached 2.62 million bpd in February, a 6.6 percent monthly increase, with diesel comprising 40 percent of refined products, motor and aviation gasoline 24 percent, and fuel oil 14 percent.
Domestic demand for refined petroleum products fell by 69,000 bpd in February compared to the previous month, reaching 1.71 million bpd. On an annual basis, demand dropped by 22.09 percent, equivalent to a decline of 485,000 bpd.
On April 3, eight OPEC+ countries — including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman — reaffirmed their commitment to supporting oil market stability amid a positive demand outlook.
In a virtual meeting, the group agreed to implement a production increase of 411,000 bpd in May 2025, representing a front-loaded adjustment equivalent to three months of scheduled increments. The move marks the beginning of a phased and flexible reversal of the 2.2 million bpd in voluntary cuts introduced in 2023, in line with the decision reaffirmed in March.
OPEC+ emphasized that the pace of future increases may be paused or reversed depending on market conditions, with monthly meetings scheduled to assess conformity and decide on subsequent production levels. According to the latest schedule, Saudi Arabia’s required production for May is set at 9.2 million bpd.
Direct crude usage
Saudi Arabia’s direct crude oil burn rose to 283,000 bpd in February, reflecting a 2.9 percent increase from January, but showing a 21 percent decline compared to the same month last year.
The reduction in direct crude oil use for power generation is influenced by multiple strategic and economic factors.
According to the US Energy Information Administration’s 2024 report, 62 percent of Saudi Arabia’s electricity was generated from natural gas in 2023, up from previous years — a shift that has significantly reduced the country’s reliance on crude oil for power generation. The expansion of gas-fired capacity has played a central role in this transition.
The International Energy Agency’s 2024 Oil Market Report also highlighted that Saudi Arabia is actively expanding its electricity generation capacity through both natural gas and renewable energy sources, in alignment with Vision 2030.
Supporting this trend, the Saudi Power Procurement Co. awarded bids in 2023 for four gas-fired power plants, each with a capacity of 1.8 gigawatts, and began accepting bids for four additional projects in early 2024. As of mid-2024, the Kingdom has more than 21 GW of planned renewable energy projects, the majority of which are focused on solar power.
