IEA and OPEC diverge on oil outlook
There is a gulf between the two bodies when it comes to their medium-term forecasts
The IEA and OPEC have each published medium-term oil market outlooks in the past few months. The IEA’s goes to 2028, but OPEC’s is braver in forecasting the market to 2045. There are big differences in the views of the two bodies to 2028, which is remarkable considering it is only a five-year period. However, given their different perspectives on the pace of the energy transition, it is perhaps less surprising. There are big differences in terms of the outlooks for non-OPEC supply. The OPEC Secretariat is much more bullish, seeing supply increasing by 6.98m b/d from 2022 to 2028, compared with the IEA’s much smaller growth of 3.96m b/d. Looking at the data on a country-by-country basis, the
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation






