The world's oil chokepoints
The straits and canals the world's oil has to pass through: volumes, dependent countries and risks.
● Happening now · as of 2026-10-03Today: Hormuz shut, East-West pipeline at reduced capacity →- Strait of Malacca23.7 million · the world's busiest chokepoint
The shortest route from the Persian Gulf to China, Japan and Korea. Only 2.7 km wide at its narrowest point.
✕ What if it closes? → - Strait of Hormuz20.9 million · ~20% of global oil consumption
The only sea exit from the Persian Gulf. Pipelines around it carry only part of its oil: the Saudi East-West line to Yanbu about 5 million barrels a day of crude for export (7 million in total, 2 million of which feed Saudi refineries) and ADCOP to Fujairah 1.5 million.
✕ What if it closes? → - Suez Canal / SUMED8.8 million · ~9% of seaborne trade
The canal plus the SUMED pipeline (Red Sea → Mediterranean). Laden VLCCs don't fit through the canal – they offload part of the cargo into SUMED.
✕ What if it closes? → - Bab el-Mandeb8.7 million · ~9% of seaborne trade
The entrance to the Red Sea. Houthi attacks since late 2023 have pushed part of the traffic around Africa.
✕ What if it closes? → - Cape of Good Hope5.9 million · ~6% of seaborne trade
Not a strait but the alternative to Suez. Used by VLCCs and whenever the Red Sea is dangerous.
✕ What if it closes? → - Turkish Straits3.4 million · ~3% of seaborne trade
The Bosporus and Dardanelles – the exit from the Black Sea for Russian and Kazakh (CPC) crude.
✕ What if it closes? → - Danish Straits3.2 million · ~3% of seaborne trade
The exit from the Baltic – Russian crude from Primorsk and Ust-Luga.
✕ What if it closes? → - Panama Canal2.1 million · ~2% of seaborne trade
Mostly refined products from the USA to South America and Asia. Too narrow for large tankers.