U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC) crude exports remained remarkably resilient for the week ended June 12, despite a sharp decline in crude prices, a market holiday, and weather-related disruptions along the Texas coast. While easing U.S.-Iran tensions erased much of the geopolitical risk premium embedded in crude markets, physical demand for U.S. barrels remained strong, particularly from Asia. As discussed in this week's Crude Voyager, exports out of the USGC averaged 4.9 MMb/d (far right of chart below), recording another stellar week above the 2026 YTD average of 4.5 MMb/d. Louisiana volumes rebounded significantly, and Houston's weather-related slowdown had only a modest impact on overall Gulf Coast flows.
