Global storage not tanked up enough
World commercial oil inventories continued their declining trend over the past year. Oil storage owners face a mixed market
In this article, PE looks at the evolution of storage trends in the industry. Part I of II. Regional trends across the globe are uneven, with supply bottlenecks increasing storage demand in some areas, while other markets are flat to lower. With oil markets expected to remain in backwardation, trader demand for storage is expected to remain lacklustre through 2019. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), commercial oil inventories in rich countries, which peaked at the end of 2016, continue to draw. The IEA estimates that the second quarter saw a commercial year-on-year stock draw of 253m barrels, falling by 7.2m barrels in June from May for the eighth decline in 11 months. At th
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally






