People requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information said Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. restored the Ruwais refinery to full capacity about a month ago. The site has a nameplate capacity of 922,000 barrels per day. The facility was shut in March following an Iranian drone strike that triggered a fire, after weeks of curtailed throughput tied to restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The people added that Adnoc has been stepping up exports of refined products including diesel and jet fuel. Adnoc declined to comment.
IIR Energy said last week that refining activity across the Middle East has been climbing gradually, highlighting additional supply from Kuwait's Mina Al Zour. Extra shipments from regional plants could help ease a shortfall in petroleum products linked to the Middle East conflict and worsened by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries. The twin wars have kept fuel prices elevated and added to global inflation pressures.
Ruwais matters for international balances because it typically exports a large share of its output, with diesel notably heading to Europe. One person familiar said Adnoc has so far restored fuel exports to around 70% of prewar levels. Separately, Vortexa estimates Adnoc moved roughly 600,000 barrels per day of products - including diesel, jet fuel, and naphtha - during January and February, before the conflict began. The premium of diesel over crude is at the highest in over 15 years.
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If supplies from Ruwais and other Middle Eastern refineries keep recovering, product tightness could ease, potentially reshaping trade flows and tempering fuel prices. That has implications for energy-sensitive holdings and broader inflation exposure in a diversified portfolio.
