The International Energy Agency (IEA) has sounded the alarm on the impending global supply shortage as a result of oil production cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia. This development poses an elevated risk of increased market volatility in the coming months.
The IEA's warning follows closely on the heels of OPEC's own update, which revealed that the disparity between global supply and demand is set to reach its widest point since 2007, propelling oil prices upward.
The formidable alliance between Saudi Arabia and Russia has emerged as a formidable force in the oil market, according to the IEA. This collaboration has significantly impacted market dynamics.
After a surge following Russia's incursion into Ukraine last year, oil prices had experienced a prolonged slump. In response, Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ partner, Russia, jointly announced an extension of voluntary production cuts through the end of this year, a move aimed at stabilizing prices.
As articulated by the Paris-based IEA, commencing from September, the reduction in OPEC+ production, led by Saudi Arabia, is poised to create a substantial supply gap throughout the fourth quarter. The report underscores that oil reserves will dwindle to uncomfortably low levels, heightening the risk of another bout of market turbulence. This outcome would not be in the best interest of either producers or consumers, given the prevailing delicate economic climate.
Saudi Arabia's decision to prolong a one-million-barrel-per-day cut, initiated in July, until year-end, coupled with Russia's commitment to maintaining a 300,000-bpd export reduction over the same period, will further impact supply dynamics.
The recent surge in oil prices has raised concerns about potential inflationary pressures, prompting central banks to potentially maintain higher interest rates for an extended period. Such a scenario could, in turn, exert downward pressure on economies, potentially leading them towards recession.
The IEA underscores that world oil demand is projected to increase by 2.2 million barrels per day, reaching 101.8 million bpd for the year. This growth is attributed in part to resurgent Chinese consumption and heightened demand for jet fuel.
However, the extension of production cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia is anticipated to result in a significant deficit in the market during the final quarter of the year, effectively locking it in. OPEC+ production has already seen a reduction of two million bpd, while non-OPEC countries have ramped up supply by 1.9 million bpd.
In the grander scheme, global supply is forecasted to increase by 1.5 million bpd, painting a complex picture of the evolving oil market landscape.
