Sectors such as plastics and aviation expected to bolster oil demand
Oil demand may not peak until 2040s – Vitol
Near-term demand expected to reach pre-pandemic levels by summer 2022 as air travel rebounds
Oil demand could peak in the road transport sector as early as 2026 but may not top out in other sectors—including plastics and aviation—until the 2030s and 2040s, says leading oil trader Vitol. Growing uptake of electric vehicles could see gasoline and diesel demand peak in 2026, 2027 or 2028, Vitol CEO Russell Hardy told the Energy Intelligence Forum 2021. But demand for jet fuel in the aviation sector may not peak until the 2040s, he added. “Jet fuel has a kind of substitute in sustainable aviation fuel. But clearly, there is a lot of investment needed to create production capacity for that fuel to even start to dent jet fuel demand,” Hardy says. Demand for oil from the plastics sector ma
Also in this section
19 March 2026
The regional crisis highlights the undervalued role of fixed pipelines in the age of tanker flexibility
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
