Geopolitics Alpha

Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery

Published . Updated .

Key takeaways

  • Iraq's nationwide output reached 4.22 million bpd in September, but some fields are struggling to rebound from damage caused by long shut-ins.
  • Exposed: USO, XLE, ITA, XOM, CVX
  • Market reaction: price tracking starts with the next trading session.

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Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery

Iraq's nationwide output reached 4.22 million bpd in September, but some fields are struggling to rebound from damage caused by long shut-ins.

Directly affected

  • No company is named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • USO United States Oil Fund+8.9% 30d

    United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+8.9% 30d

    Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF+0.3% 30d

    iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “war” (defense) in this story.

  • BWET Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF-3.3% 17d

    Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings+3.3% 15d

    ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • CVX Chevron+12.5% 30d

    Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • COP ConocoPhillips+11.6% 30d

    ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • SHEL Shell+3.5% 11d

    Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

Price reaction, T-5 to T+3

TickerT-5T-3T-1T0T+1T+2T+3
USO+5.38%+6.75%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
XLE+2.64%+4.95%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
ITA-4.02%-3.08%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
BWETNo price data for this ticker———————
XOM+2.57%+5.49%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
CVX+1.76%+4.58%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
COP+3.21%+6.66%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close
SHEL+0.85%+4.31%baseafter closeafter closeafter closeafter close

Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.

Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery Iraq Oil Report

Source: Iraq Oil Report

United States Oil Fund (USO) since this story, compared with the market

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
Conocophillips (COP)three days earlier+6.66%final price
Conocophillips (COP)five days earlier+3.21%final price
Chevron (CVX)three days earlier+4.58%final price
Chevron (CVX)five days earlier+1.76%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)three days earlier-3.08%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)five days earlier-4.02%final price
Shell (SHEL)three days earlier+4.31%final price
Shell (SHEL)five days earlier+0.85%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)three days earlier+6.75%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)five days earlier+5.38%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)three days earlier+4.95%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)five days earlier+2.64%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)three days earlier+5.49%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)five days earlier+2.57%final price

Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story

Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).

Companies in energy around United States Oil Fund (USO)

The side that tends to collect

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings

    For “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery,” ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) tends to benefit, medium confidence. Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • CVX Chevron

    For “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery,” Chevron (CVX) tends to benefit, medium confidence. Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

No up or down call on file

  • USO United States Oil Fund

    In “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery,” United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr

    Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 3 Nov 2026 story “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery.” Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • ITA IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

    IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 3 Nov 2026 story “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery.” Reason on file: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “war” (defense) in this story

  • COP Conocophillips

    For “Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery,” Conocophillips (COP) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

United States Oil Fund (USO) and the energy link

“Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery” (3 Nov 2026) reaches United States Oil Fund (USO) through Energy.

United States Oil Fund (USO) is on the page because United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

A second company, Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE), is listed for a different reason: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

The price range for United States Oil Fund (USO), and the dates in the story

ITA traded between 197.59 and 215.76 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 214.70. USO traded between 141.82 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 156.89. XLE traded between 62.95 and 70.15 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 67.26.

A simple score for United States Oil Fund (USO)

46 out of 100

“Oil production nears pre-war levels, but lost capacity slows full recovery” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 7 linked companies.