OPEC sees slower 2019 demand growth, warns on economy

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) further trimmed its forecast for 2019 global oil demand growth and said the risk to the economic outlook was skewed to the downside, adding a new challenge to the group’s efforts to support the market next year.

In a monthly report, OPEC said world oil demand next year would rise by 1.41 million barrels per day (bpd), 20,000 bpd less than last month and the second consecutive reduction in the forecast.

The report provides further indication that the rapid oil demand that helped OPEC and its allies get rid of a supply glut will moderate in 2019. OPEC last month said global growth faced “numerous challenges,” although its latest report suggests concern about them has deepened.

“Rising challenges in some emerging and developing economies are skewing the current global economic growth risk forecast to the downside,” OPEC said in the report. “Rising trade tensions and the consequences of further potential monetary tightening by G4 central banks, in combination with rising global debt levels, are additional concerns.”

Crude briefly pared gains after the OPEC report was released but later rallied to trade above $80 a barrel, a level reached earlier this year for the first time since 2014, supported by expectations for a further drop in Iranian exports.

OPEC and a group of non-OPEC countries agreed on June 22-23 to return to 100 percent compliance with oil output cuts that began in January 2017 after months of underproduction by Venezuela, while others pushed adherence above 160 percent.