Global oil demand to disappoint
Peak requirements may be here much quicker than in some forecasts
Oil consumption is expected to continue to grow through 2040, albeit at an increasingly gradual pace, according to base case scenarios from major oil forecasting organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA). But there are reasons to conclude oil demand will peak sooner rather than later, and the decline may be surprisingly precipitous thereafter. Slower than expected economic growth because of US-China tensions; greater concern about oil security given this new superpower rivalry, as well as the vulnerability of key oil infrastructure in an unstable Mid-East Gulf; more powerful environmental movements targeting climate change, local air pollution and oil-based plastics; and t
Also in this section
18 February 2026
With Texas LNG approaching financial close, Alaska LNG advancing towards a phased buildout and Magnolia LNG positioned for future optionality, Glenfarne CEO Brendan Duval says the coming year will demonstrate how the company’s more focused, owner-operator approach is reshaping LNG infrastructure development in the North America
18 February 2026
The global gas industry is no longer on the backfoot, hesitantly justifying the value of its product, but has greater confidence in gas remaining a core part of the global energy mix for decades
18 February 2026
With marketable supply unlikely to grow significantly and limited scope for pipeline imports, Brazil is expected to continue relying on LNG to cover supply shortfalls, Ieda Gomes, senior adviser of Brazilian thinktank FGV Energia,
tells Petroleum Economist
17 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 26–30 April 2026, will bring together leaders from the political, industrial, financial and technology sectors under the unifying theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”
