Despite deeper OPEC+ production cuts, global oil supply will be about 700,000 bpd in excess of consumption in early 2020, the International Energy Agency said in its latest monthly Oil Market Report.
OPEC and its partners led by Russia agreed last week to cut their combined production by another half a million barrels daily. OPEC members will shoulder the bulk, at 395,000 bpd, while Russia and the rest of the non-members will take on an additional 105,000 bpd in cuts.
There is a major glut in the global oil market estimated at 4.0-5-0 million barrels a day (mbd) created by the trade war. The build-up of the glut will continue as long as the trade war goes on.
Only an end to the trade war would stimulate both the global economy and oil demand thus starting a process of decreasing the glut level and pushing oil prices up.
The fact that oil prices have been ranging from $61-$64 a barrel for the last few months despite the glut underscores the positive fundamentals of the global oil market. An end to the trade war would be guaranteed to push oil prices beyond $75 in no time.
Dr Mamdouh G Salameh
International Oil Economist
Visiting Professor of Energy Economics at ESCP Europe Business School, London