Yemen resumes oil exports from 20 July with initial output of about 60,000 barrels a day

According to an Al Jazeera report on Thursday, 23 July 2026, the head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council announced the resumption of the country's oil exports starting 20 July, after a halt that began in late 2022. The Yemeni government says the revenues will be deposited with the central bank and directed towards paying salaries, improving services and supporting economic stability.

Yemen's Minister of Oil and Minerals Mohammed Bamqaa said stockpiles exceeding 1.7 million barrels are ready for export and that total production will initially reach about 60,000 barrels per day, adding that oil companies have been instructed to raise production capacity by up to 25 percent during the first month. Mohammed al-Kasadi, professor of financial economics at Hadramout University, told Al Jazeera that the local market consumes about 20,000 barrels per day to run refineries and power plants, so the volume actually available for export is likely to be around 40,000 barrels per day.

Yemen's oil output peaked at about 439,000 barrels per day at the start of the millennium and had fallen to 19,000 barrels per day in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund. Proven reserves are estimated at about 3 billion barrels. Analysts say the main obstacle is security risk and the reluctance of shipping and insurance companies, particularly in light of recent Houthi attacks on Saudi linked vessels.