Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports rose in September for a fifth month in a row to their highest since January, the Joint Organisation Data Initiative (JODI) said on Thursday.

The kingdom's crude oil exports increased to 6.516 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, from 6.450 million bpd in August. Total exports including oil products stood at 7.84 million bpd.

The world's largest oil exporter's crude output rose by 100,000 bpd month on month to 9.662 mln bpd in September, its highest since April 2020.

Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports hit six-month high in July

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, are raising output 400,000 bpd per month, gradually unwinding record output cuts made in 2020. The cartel holds its next policy meeting on Dec. 2.

Saudi Arabia's domestic crude refinery throughput fell to 2.49 million bpd in September. Direct crude burn fell 111,000 bpd to 543,000 bpd, the JODI figures showed.

Monthly export figures are provided by Riyadh and other OPEC members to JODI, which publishes them on its website.