Russia prepares for falling oil demand
Russia mulls producer support
The Kremlin may change rules to soften the blow of any drop in production
Russia’s oil producers may still have a stay of execution from maximum pain caused by collapsed demand after the Putin’s regime’s invasion on Ukraine in late February. But plans are being considered to try to lessen the blow once its full impact is felt. Delays until all announced bans of Russian oil imports come into force and some success in rerouting volumes that might previously have landed in Europe to more willing Asia-Pacific buyers have taken a portion of the sting out of the demand crunch. And there is also a delay between a slide in demand and the need to throttle back output. “As the Covid-19 pandemic showed, there is about a two-month lag between demand fall and production reduct
Also in this section
29 January 2026
Caught between LNG risks from across the Atlantic and the wounds from Russian gas dependence, Europe needs more than a simple diversification strategy
28 January 2026
The alliance looks to bolster market management credibility by bringing greater clarity and unity to output cuts and producer capacity later in 2026
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
