Demand stayed low outside of a brief panic
GB road-fuel sales remain below pre-pandemic levels
The country’s gasoline and diesel volumes struggle to reach February 2020 demand
Sales of gasoline and diesel at sampled filling stations in England, Scotland and Wales averaged 15,100l/d in December, up by 9.5pc from the same month in 2020 (see Fig.1), according to the latest data from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis). But demand remained in the 15,000-16,000l/d range that has been observed since April of last year—apart from September, when panic buying of fuel due to fears over shortages saw average daily sales jump to over 35,000l late in the month and dragged the monthly average above 18,000l/d. For all months without this rush to the pumps, demand remained lower than the c.17,700l/d observed in February 2020, the only full pre
Also in this section
23 April 2026
The addition of an oil pipeline to the Power of Siberia 2 gas project could ensure deliveries of Russian oil to China, materially shorten logistics lines between West Siberia and final customers, and—amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz—offer a land-based export route that reduces exposure to maritime chokepoints
23 April 2026
There is a clear push to bolster exports to Asia amid uncertainty around its North American neighbour, but there are limits to the benefits from the energy crisis
23 April 2026
Shell made the play-opening discovery in Namibia’s Orange basin back in 2022, but its next well could decide whether the project can actually be commercialised
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
