What the Iran war has done to the world’s energy supply, in charts

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the Iran war has put fresh pressure on global energy markets by disrupting major shipping routes and forcing governments to rely more heavily on emergency stocks. The story comes as Riyadh hosts a major energy conference and related ministerial meetings, even after an attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, underscoring how regional insecurity is affecting energy diplomacy.

The article says fossil fuels still make up about 81 percent of global energy use, with oil, coal and gas dominating supply. It notes that production is concentrated in a few regions, especially the Middle East for oil, North America for gas, and Russia and Central Asia for both. Al Jazeera also highlights the strategic role of the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal, where reduced traffic has pushed some shipments onto longer routes around Africa.

The report identifies several countries that are especially exposed to Middle East supplies, including Eritrea, Madagascar, Pakistan, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, India and Taiwan. It says gas has been harder to replace than oil because much of it moves as liquefied natural gas from Qatar and the UAE. The piece also says emergency oil reserves have been the main buffer, but that this cushion is shrinking, with the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve at its lowest level since 1982 and the IEA preparing further releases.