The 13 countries that control the world's oil supply

These energy giants call the shots

The Iran war has shaken markets and thrust the world's petroleum power players into the spotlight. Like it or not, oil continues to underpin the global economy. With massive leverage over production, spare capacity and critical routes like the Strait of Hormuz, the leading producers wield outsized influence over supply, prices, and the planet's financial wellbeing.

From the Middle East to North America, click or scroll on to discover the 13 countries that control the world's most crucial commodity.

Iran

Iran produces around 3% of the world's oil and counts as one of the 12 members of the influential OPEC cartel. But its true power lies in its control of the Strait of Hormuz. As the planet's most vital energy artery, this narrow waterway carries a fifth of the world's oil, much of it bound for Asia.

Amid the ongoing Iran war, Tehran's stranglehold on this essential passage makes it a critical lever, sending shockwaves through global markets far beyond its own barrels.

Mexico

Mexico is the world's 13th-largest oil producer and a member of OPEC+. Producing around 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025, Mexico's global influence is on the modest side compared with giants like Saudi Arabia or the US, but its participation in OPEC+ gives it a voice in global supply decisions and pricing discussions.

Plus, with the Iran war upsetting the Gulf supply chain, Mexico, like other major non-Middle Eastern suppliers, is seeing a more prominent role in keeping global markets supplied and prices in check.

Norway

Norway ranks as Europe's top oil producer and the world's 12th-largest, courtesy of its prolific North Sea and Barents Sea fields. The nation isn't part of OPEC, but its output carries considerable influence partly because Brent Crude, the global benchmark, is priced on the back of North Sea production.

The Iran war has pushed Norway to the fore as a reliable supplier to Europe and Asia. Major producer Equinor plans to boost output by 25% by 2030, capitalising on the surge in oil prices while helping allies diversify away from Middle East dependence.

Kazakhstan

The planet's 11th-largest oil producer, Kazakhstan is also an OPEC+ member, giving it a say in global supply discussions. Most of its oil flows through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which makes the country a significant non-Middle Eastern supplier, but also leaves it exposed if the pipeline faces disruptions.

To reduce this risk, Kazakhstan is opening up new export routes, including to China, while pulling in foreign investment to shore up its position in the regional market.

Kuwait

The planet's 10th-largest oil producer in 2025 and a founding OPEC member, Kuwait has seen its output collapse amid the Iran war. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz paralyzed the nation's exports, so much so that it's now only producing oil for the domestic market.

Again, membership of OPEC means nothing if a member is hell-bent on blockading a major part of the supply chain, regardless of the consequences.

Brazil

Brazil is now the world's ninth-biggest oil producer and its influence as a global petro power player is on the rise, along with its output. Last year, the nation joined OPEC+ and it's aiming to become the fourth-largest producer by the end of the decade.

Leading the surge are the country's pre-salt oil fields. Their ability to produce quality light crude at a relatively low cost has attracted a huge amount of investment and funding for Brazil's oil infrastructure.

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UAE

The UAE's oil production has dropped by more than half as it grapples with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital conduit for its exports. The UAE was the world's eighth-biggest oil producer before the Iran war upended the region.

Even as a major OPEC player, the UAE's influence is now severely constrained as the means of getting its oil to foreign buyers has been effectively cut off.

China

Most people don't think of China as a major oil producer. But it's actually the world’s sixth-largest (ahead of Iran), even though the vast majority of output stays domestic. China is also the largest oil importer, relying primarily on crude from the Middle East and Latin America.

The Iran war and ongoing instability in Venezuela have exposed the risks of this dependence. At the same time, Beijing is racing to electrify transport and expand renewables from solar to wind, aiming to reduce fossil fuel reliance without slowing economic growth.

Iraq

A core OPEC member, Iraq ranked as the world's fifth-biggest oil producer in 2025. Then the Iran war happened. The nation has had to cut production in the Basra oil fields by a painful 70%, slashing output from 3.3 million barrels per day to around 900,000, as the conflict made crude exports from its southern ports impossible.

The situation has exposed Iraq's vulnerability, showing how major producers can be at the complete mercy of regional conflicts.

Canada

Canada is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, churning out about 4.9 million barrels per day in 2025 and holding some of the planet's largest proven reserves. Most of its crude heads south to the US, anchoring North American energy security.

As a non-OPEC player, Canada doesn't coordinate output with a cartel, but its volume gives markets a vital alternative to Middle Eastern supply. In response to the Iran war, producers are eyeing higher output, a move that risks undermining Prime Minister Mark Carney's climate plans.

Russia

Russia pumps about 9.9 million barrels of oil per day, which makes it the world's third-largest producer. While the nation's fossil fuel exports are subject to strict sanctions, Moscow continues to export and influence global supply and prices as a member of OPEC+, the 22-strong alliance of OPEC members and key non-OPEC producers.

That said, Russia is having to sell its oil at a steep discount to the likes of China, India, and Türkiye. As a result, the country's fossil fuel export earnings hit record lows in early 2026. Yet higher prices triggered by the Iran war, along with a partial easing of sanctions, have boosted revenues of late.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the centerpiece of the global oil export system. Producing roughly 9.5 million barrels per day, just under 10% of world output, and holding about 15% of known oil reserves, Riyadh sits atop the Middle East's vast 29% share of global supply.

As the most powerful member of the OPEC cartel, Saudi Arabia acts as its de facto leader, using spare capacity, production coordination, and pricing influence to stabilize markets.

Its state oil company Saudi Aramco is the engine behind this output and market sway. While disruption in the Strait of Hormuz was partly offset by exports via the Red Sea, rising Houthi threats to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are now putting this alternative route at risk, increasing the likelihood of wider supply disruption.

USA

Fueled by the shale boom and a ravenous domestic appetite, the US became the world's top oil producer in 2018 and reached record output of 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, representing a monster 14 % of global supply. North America is now the planet's largest oil-producing region, accounting for nearly 30% of the grand total, just in front of the Middle East.

Unlike OPEC, the US doesn't coordinate production with other countries. Still, America's tremendous output, technological edge, and geopolitical clout give the nation enormous influence over global markets and prices, reinforced by the dominance of the US dollar in oil trading.

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