Global oil demand will surpass pre-pandemic levels this year due to increased Covid-19 vaccination rates and as recent virus waves are milder to warrant strict lockdown measures.
- In its monthly oil market report, the IEA increased its oil demand growth projection for the upcoming year by 200,000 barrels per day to 3.3 million barrels per day.
- The Paris-based agency also upgraded its demand growth outlook for 2021 by 200,000 barrels per day to 5.5 million barrels per day.
- The IEA’s more optimistic outlooks are indicators that recent Covid-19 variants have been spreading faster but less severe, helping to boost global economic resilience to a virus.
- The IEA stated that the number of Covid-19 Cases is surging globally, but measures taken by governments to curtail the virus are less severe than earlier waves.
Even though the Omicron variant has seen infection rates rise to record levels, its milder nature will help spread immunity to the virus and promote a faster return to pre-virus oil demand.
CL1! Up +1.27%, USOIL up +0.01%Source: IEA