OPEC sees strong demand, confirms cuts

An OPEC report released Monday predicts robust growth in oil demand over 2017.

“World oil demand in 2016 continued its healthy performance for the second year, with growth set to be above 1.3 million bopd,” it said. “In 2017, oil demand growth is assumed to remain healthy with potential growth estimated at 1.2 million bopd, well above the 10-year average of 1.0 million bopd.”

The report also largely confirmed the findings of an earlier IEA report saying the cartel was some 90% compliant with last November’s production cut deal and projecting strong growth in demand.

In January 2017, the report said, OPEC crude production was about 890,000 bopd lower than in December. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE made the deepest cuts, while Nigeria, Libya and Iran, which were exempted from the agreement, actually increased output.

Taking into account reductions by non-OPEC producers including Russia, the total global supply of oil averaged 95.8 million bopd last month, some 1.29 million bopd less than the month before and 460,000 bopd less than January 2016. OPEC’s share of the global oil output declined by half a percent last month and stood at 33.5%.

Kuwait’s oil minister Essam Al Marzouq said the cartel is pushing for non-members who agreed to the deal to increase their share of the cuts. Currently non-OPEC members’ compliance level is at 50%, compared to 92% for members.

Al Marzouq noted that at the time of the deal, there was an understanding that participants would increase cuts gradually. Now however there is an expectation that compliance will go up.

“We understand the circumstances, and in February we are talking to non-OPEC producers to raise their cuts according to their commitments,” said the minister, according to a Bloomberg report.

Recent Posts

Petronas makes discovery off Suriname

Petronas has made a third oil and gas discovery in Suriname's offshore Block 52, the Malaysian company announced on Wednesday Read More

12 hours ago

Japan’s JERA slates $32 billion for LNG, renewables, new fuels

Japanese power generation player JERA on Thursday announced plans to invest USD 32 billion in LNG, renewables and new fuels… Read More

12 hours ago

Chevron planning UK North Sea exit

Chevron is planning to exit its North Sea operations after 55 years of activity in the oil hotspot, Reuters reported… Read More

14 hours ago

Seatrium wins yet more FPSO work in Guyana

Seatrium has been awarded a contract by SBM Offshore for the topsides fabrication and integration of an additional FPSO vessel… Read More

21 hours ago

Diamond Offshore seals $350-million Gulf of Mexico deal

Diamond Offshore has secured a USD 350-million extension for an ultra-deepwater drillship deployed for Anadarko Petroleum in the US Gulf… Read More

1 day ago

ExxonMobil makes deepwater discovery off Angola

ExxonMobil has made a discovery in the Angolan deepwater, the country's energy regulator announced on Monday Read More

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.