21 January 2015
Supplies rise in face of plunging oil price
Crude production continues to rise and demand remains tepid in spite of the falling oil price, according to figures from the IEA.
On the supply side, output is rising even as oil companies slash their exploration and production budgets, delay projects and slow drilling. In December, global output rose by 155,000 barrels a day (b/d) on November’s figures, with Opec and Non-Opec countries both contributing to the rise, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) figures. Production was 2.1 million b/d higher than a year ago. Libyan output was hit by a resurgence of violence in the country, but surging Iraqi production more than offset the decline, leading Opec supplies to rise by 80,000 b/d in December. Rising US shale oil supplies made up for declines across many other parts of the world non-Opec production increased
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






