Crude market wrestles with supply-demand disconnect
Near-term economic concerns and relative supply strength postpone oil’s recovery narrative
The message from major forecasters is clear: global oil demand is set to expand faster than previously expected this year. The IEA now sees oil demand growth of 2.2mn bl/d in 2023, some 200,000bl/d higher than its report in April, taking overall demand to 102mn bl/d, supported by China’s improving mobility. In fact, the IEA has been raising demand growth projections every month since last November. Other top forecasters, such as Goldman Sachs, have also steadily increased their demand forecasts. But the oil market needs much more convincing. “These demand upgrades reflect that strong emerging market and global services demand continue to outpace weaker developed market and manufacturing envi

Also in this section
11 August 2025
The administration is pushing for deregulation and streamline permitting for natural gas, while tightening requirements and stripping away subsidies from renewables
8 August 2025
The producers’ group missed its output increase target for the month and may soon face a critical test of its strategy
7 August 2025
The quick, unified and decisive strategy to return all the barrels from the hefty tranche of cuts from the eight producers involved in voluntary curbs signals a shift and sets the tone for the path ahead
7 August 2025
Without US backing, the EU’s newest sanctions package against Russia—though not painless—is unlikely to have a significant impact on the country’s oil and gas revenues or its broader economy