EIA expects US crude oil production to remain relatively flat through 2021
Published by Aimee Knight,
Editorial Assistant
World Pipelines,
In the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) November Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA forecasts that US crude oil production will remain near its current level through the end of 2021.
A record 12.9 million bpd of crude oil was produced in the United States in November 2019 and was at 12.7 million bpd in March 2020, when the President declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak. Crude oil production then fell to 10 million bpd in May 2020, the lowest level since January 2018.
By August, the latest monthly data available in EIA’s series, production of crude oil had risen to 10.6 million bpd in the United States, and the US benchmark price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil had increased from a monthly average of US$17 per barrel (bbl) in April to US$42/bbl in August. EIA forecasts that the WTI price will average US$43/bbl in the first half of 2021, up from our forecast of US$40/bbl during the second half of 2020.
The US crude oil production forecast reflects EIA’s expectations that annual global petroleum demand will not recover to pre-pandemic levels (101.5 million bpd in 2019) through at least 2021. EIA forecasts that global consumption of petroleum will average 92.9 million bpd in 2020 and 98.8 million bpd in 2021.
The gradual recovery in global demand for petroleum contributes to EIA’s forecast of higher crude oil prices in 2021. EIA expects that the Brent crude oil price will increase from its 2020 average of US$41/bbl to US$47/bbl in 2021.
EIA’s crude oil price forecast depends on many factors, especially changes in global production of crude oil. As of early November, members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and partner countries (OPEC+) were considering plans to keep production at current levels, which could result in higher crude oil prices. OPEC+ had previously planned to ease production cuts in January 2021.
Other factors could result in lower-than-forecast prices, especially a slower recovery in global petroleum demand. As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, some parts of the United States are adding restrictions such as curfews and limitations on gatherings and some European countries are re-instituting lockdown measures.
EIA recently published a more detailed discussion of US crude oil production in This Week in Petroleum.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/18112020/eia-expects-us-crude-oil-production-to-remain-relatively-flat-through-2021/
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