World oil demand will rebound more slowly in 2021 than previously thought as coronavirus cases rise, OPEC said, adding to headwinds faced by the group and its allies in balancing the market

A slow economic recovery from the pandemic threatens to delay a full rebound in world energy demand to 2025, the International Energy Agency said

World oil demand will plateau in the late 2030s and could by then have begun to decline, OPEC said, in a major shift for the producer group that reflects the lasting impact of the coronavirus crisis on the economy and consumer habits

“The expected supply and demand balance would result in OECD commercial stocks standing well above the latest five-year average in Q3/2020,” Barkindo said in remarks at the G20 Energy Ministers virtual meeting

The bank raised its 2020 Brent and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) price forecasts by $2 to $43 per barrel and $39, respectively. For 2021, the bank expects Brent and WTI prices to average $53 and $50 per barrel, respectively.

OPEC and allies, led by Russia, are scheduled to hold an online meeting to discuss compliance with their agreed output cuts and demand trends amid falling oil prices and a faltering economic recovery outlook

The Paris-based IEA cut its 2020 outlook by 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 91.7 million bpd in its second downgrade in as many months

World oil demand will fall more steeply in 2020 than previously forecast due to the coronavirus and recover more slowly than expected next year, OPEC said, potentially making it harder for the group and its allies to support the market

Keisuke Sadamori, IEA director for energy markets and security, assured that the outlook for oil was in the midst of either a second wave or a steady first wave of the coronavirus

Goldman Sachs expects Brent prices to rally in 2021, bolstered by a tighter oil market and as an economic recovery from the coronavirus-induced slump gathers pace, helped by a possible vaccine