Events such as the Winter Olympics near Beijing and Lunar New Year have impacted crude demand
Chinese crude demand growth to slow
China’s demand is set to increase again this year, but at a slower pace after hitting yet another record high in 2021
China’s energy demand is being buffeted by mounting economic headwinds and one-off short-term disruptions, including February’s Winter Olympics near Beijing. Oil demand in particular could decline quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2022 because of reduced refinery throughput in northeast China, owing to governmental desire for improved air quality during the games and March’s Winter Paralympics. Both events likely impacted short-term crude demand along with early February’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday, as businesses shut for the holiday. In addition to refining demand, other emissions-intense activities such as factory operations, power generation and general traffic movement were also asked to t
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
