New Delhi [India], November 5 : Global crude oil refinery inputs declined sharply in the second quarter of 2026 following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, with disruptions to crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz weighing on refining activity across major Asian and Middle Eastern economies, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Global refinery inputs fell by 4.8 million barrels per day (b/d), or 6 per cent, in the April-June quarter compared with the previous quarter, data from energy intelligence firm Kpler showed. Refinery throughput subsequently recovered by 1.8 million b/d in the third quarter as refiners adjusted to changing trade flows and alternative supply routes.
The decline was particularly pronounced in countries heavily dependent on crude supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz. China recorded the largest reduction, with refinery inputs falling by 2.1 million b/d in the second quarter and a further 0.8 million b/d in the third quarter.
India, South Korea and Japan together saw crude oil inputs decline by more than 1 million b/d in the second quarter, although they recovered by 0.8 million b/d in the following quarter.
Refining activity also weakened across the Middle East as restrictions on shipping through the strait significantly limited exports of refined petroleum products. Inputs declined by 0.7 million b/d each in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, 0.3 million b/d in Saudi Arabia and 0.2 million b/d in Iran during the second quarter. Combined refinery inputs in these four countries increased by 0.4 million b/d in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Russian refinery operations faced additional pressure from increased attacks on oil infrastructure amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Crude oil inputs in Russia declined by 0.6 million b/d in the second quarter and another 0.8 million b/d in the third quarter.
The reduction in Russian refining activity affected global diesel markets, which were already facing tight supplies. The combined disruption to refining operations in Russia, Asia and the Middle East contributed to diesel prices rising to their highest nominal levels on record in September, the EIA said.
In contrast, refinery inputs in the United States increased by 0.5 million b/d in both the second and third quarters as the country stepped up refined product exports to compensate for supply shortages elsewhere.
Despite the third-quarter recovery, global refinery inputs remained around 5 per cent below the levels recorded during the corresponding period of 2025, indicating that disruptions to global refining activity continued even as crude oil flows gradually improved.