- Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period.
Middle East Oil Refinery Throughput was 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 1.7% on 2022. The Oil Refinery Throughput dataset for the Middle East from 2015 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of petroleum refining activity across the region, incorporating throughput data from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Israel, and other Middle Eastern countries.
Middle East Oil Refinery Throughput moved from 7,847 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (+19.2%), an average of +2.2% a year. The series high was 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the low 7,839 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.
The gap between the series high (2023) and low (2020) is 1,516 Thousand Barrels Daily. The sharpest single-year move was +8.7% in 2022.
Within Middle East, Saudi Arabia has the highest value in 2023 at 2,810 Thousand Barrels Daily, 30% of the regional total.
Country ranking
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By region
Thousand Barrels Daily, 2023. Each bar is that region's total.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.
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| Year | Thousand Barrels Daily | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023Peak | 9,355 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 9,199 | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 8,466 | +8% |
| 2020 Trough | 7,839 | −6.7% |
| 2019 | 8,400 | −2.1% |
| 2018 | 8,579 | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 8,287 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 8,059 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 7,847 | — |
Data definition
Oil Refinery Throughput — - Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and represents the operational output of the refining sector rather than its installed capacity. This indicator reflects the extent to which refinery infrastructure is utilized to convert crude oil into refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. Oil Refinery Throughput is widely used to assess refinery operations, downstream petroleum activity, fuel production levels, and the efficiency of refinery utilization.
The data includes the actual quantity of crude oil and eligible refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during the reporting period. It covers throughput from both public and privately operated refineries, including onshore and, where applicable, offshore refining facilities. The indicator reflects crude oil processed into refined petroleum products regardless of whether the crude oil is domestically produced or imported. It includes refinery operations across all major processing units involved in converting crude oil into finished petroleum products. Data is compiled from national energy authorities, refinery operators, and standardized international energy databases using internationally recognized reporting methodologies, enabling consistent comparison of refinery throughput across countries and over time.
The data excludes refinery nameplate capacity, crude oil production, crude oil reserves, oil consumption, imports and exports of refined petroleum products, and refinery utilization rates when reported separately. It does not include production from natural gas processing plants, biofuel refineries, synthetic fuel facilities, gas-to-liquids (GTL), or coal-to-liquids (CTL) plants unless specifically classified within refinery operations. The indicator also excludes petrochemical manufacturing processes that do not involve crude oil refining and does not directly measure refinery efficiency, product quality, profitability, or environmental performance. Minor variations may occur due to differences in national reporting standards, feedstock classifications, refinery accounting practices, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.
Oil Refinery Throughput — - Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and represents the operational output of the refining sector rather than its installed capacity. This indicator reflects the extent to which refinery infrastructure is utilized to convert crude oil into refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. Oil Refinery Throughput is widely used to assess refinery operations, downstream petroleum activity, fuel production levels, and the efficiency of refinery utilization.
Measured in thousand barrels daily, the dataset represents the actual volume of crude oil processed by refineries across the region each day. It serves as an important indicator of refinery utilization, fuel production, industrial efficiency, energy security, and the region's ability to supply domestic and international petroleum product markets.
The Middle East recorded oil refinery throughput of 7,847 thousand barrels daily in 2015, increasing to 8,059 thousand barrels daily in 2016 and 8,287 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput rose to 8,579 thousand barrels daily in 2018 before easing slightly to 8,400 thousand barrels daily in 2019. In 2020, regional refinery throughput declined to 7,839 thousand barrels daily because of reduced fuel demand and pandemic-related operational disruptions. Processing volumes recovered to 8,466 thousand barrels daily in 2021, increased to 9,199 thousand barrels daily in 2022, and reached 9,355 thousand barrels daily in 2023, the highest level during the review period, reflecting stronger refinery utilization and downstream activity.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates a positive long-term trend in refinery throughput despite the temporary decline during 2020. The sustained recovery highlights expanding refining capacity, resilient refinery operations, and growing demand for refined petroleum products across the Middle East.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating the Middle East's refinery throughput trends, analyzing regional downstream industry performance, and assessing crude oil processing activity. It supports refinery utilization analysis, investment planning, energy security assessments, market evaluation, and policy development while providing valuable insights for researchers, analysts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers studying refinery efficiency, infrastructure utilization, and the long-term competitiveness of the Middle East's petroleum refining industry.
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Definition- Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and represents the operational output of the refining sector rather than its installed capacity. This indicator reflects the extent to which refinery infrastructure is utilized to convert crude oil into refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. Oil Refinery Throughput is widely used to assess refinery operations, downstream petroleum activity, fuel production levels, and the efficiency of refinery utilization.
Middle East Oil Refinery Throughput was 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 1.7% on 2022.
Middle East Oil Refinery Throughput moved from 7,847 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (+19.2%), an average of +2.2% a year. The series high was 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the low 7,839 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.
The highest value was 9,355 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the lowest was 7,839 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.
Included: The data includes the actual quantity of crude oil and eligible refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during the reporting period. It covers throughput from both public and privately operated refineries, including onshore and, where applicable, offshore refining facilities. The indicator reflects crude oil processed into refined petroleum products regardless of whether the crude oil is domestically produced or imported. It includes refinery operations across all major processing units involved in converting crude oil into finished petroleum products. Data is compiled from national energy authorities, refinery operators, and standardized international energy databases using internationally recognized reporting methodologies, enabling consistent comparison of refinery throughput across countries and over time. Excluded: The data excludes refinery nameplate capacity, crude oil production, crude oil reserves, oil consumption, imports and exports of refined petroleum products, and refinery utilization rates when reported separately. It does not include production from natural gas processing plants, biofuel refineries, synthetic fuel facilities, gas-to-liquids (GTL), or coal-to-liquids (CTL) plants unless specifically classified within refinery operations. The indicator also excludes petrochemical manufacturing processes that do not involve crude oil refining and does not directly measure refinery efficiency, product quality, profitability, or environmental performance. Minor variations may occur due to differences in national reporting standards, feedstock classifications, refinery accounting practices, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.
The series is sourced from energyinst.org (https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1542714/684_EI_Stat_Review_V16_DIGITAL.pdf). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.
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