Reopening the Strait of Hormuz marks the first step in restoring Gulf oil flow after a two‑week cease‑fire between the United States and Iran. The waterway’s closure had halted more than 10% of global oil output as strikes hit refineries, storage sites and fields across at least nine countries, from Iran to the UAE. Supply chains for custom parts remain strained.

Yet reviving the network will take months. Pumps, bespoke processing gear and scattered crews must be inspected, replaced and recalled, according to veteran executive Martin Houston. Kuwait’s Mina al‑Ahmadi refinery may resume limited output within days, but full production, he says, will likely stretch three to four months. QatarEnergy estimates that repairing two damaged LNG cooling units at Ras Laffan could require several years.

Because the shutdown also depressurised wells and introduced corrosion risks, restarting output will be technically demanding, especially for Saudi and Iraqi fields that rely on gas or water injection to maintain pressure. Even as Brent fell after the cease‑fire, U.S. pump prices linger near $4 per gallon, suggesting consumers will shoulder elevated costs for the foreseeable future.