Due to the coronavirus shock to the global economy, the world’s oil demand is expected to drop by 9.1 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020 – a larger demand loss than the cartel had estimated just a month ago.
In its closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) published on Wednesday, OPEC now forecasts that the global economy will shrink by 4.0 percent this year, more than the 3.7-percent economic drop expected in the July forecast, due to the additional negative impact of the pandemic.
Due to lower economic activity levels in some major developing countries, this year’s global oil demand is now forecast to reach 90.6 million bpd—a drop of 9.1 million bpd compared to 2019. The expected decline in demand is around 100,000 bpd larger than OPEC had forecast last month.
In 2021, global oil demand is set to grow by 7.0 million bpd, with the expected rise unchanged from last month’s projection.
“The forecast assumes that COVID-19 will largely be contained globally, with no further major disruptions to the global economy,” OPEC noted in its report.
The cartel noted, however, that for 2021 “Large uncertainties prevail, possibly resulting in a negative impact on petroleum consumption going forward.
During exceptional times the normal relationship between disposable income and oil demand does not hold up.”
As of June, commercial oil stocks in OECD countries were still rising, according to OPEC estimates.
– Oilprice.com