Pipeline dreams face the reality of trade patterns

Amid rising production and surging demand, investment in global oil and gas infrastructure increased in 2018

Global energy trends in the final months of 2018 continue to support a generally bullish outlook for oil and gas production and infrastructure construction to meet growing demand and evolving patterns of interregional trade. An improved world economy is expected to underpin solid increases in the trade of both crude oil and natural gas, and upstream market conditions are the best in recent years, but the E&P sector has continued to spend cautiously and focus on efficiency through its ongoing recovery from a downturn. Consulting firm Wood Mackenzie projected there would be about 30 final investment decisions (FID) in 2018 on oil and gas projects worldwide, but noted that operators remain