受到新冠肺炎疫情的影響,全球石油需求預計將持續數年受挫。石油出口國必須從根本上改變其經濟結構,以應對殘酷的現實。
這是國際能源署(IEA)的執行干事法提赫?比羅爾于10月13日傳遞的信息。該機構再次下調了石油前景預期。比羅爾警告說,由于新冠肺炎疫情,未來幾年,石油需求將會疲軟。
但即便在疫情消退之后,市場前景也將提振困難。IEA表示,到20世紀20年代末,石油需求才能達到與疫情前趨平的狀態——IEA更喜歡用“平穩期”一詞,而不是“石油峰值”。IEA的這一預測與歐佩克在上周的預測基本趨同。
經濟中某些明顯部分將發生轉變。IEA指出:“汽車的石油需求在未來十年內將維持在2019年的水平,到2030年后則將下降。”
期望值不高的未來市場,疊加當前石油需求的下降和價格的波動,以及世界多國氣候政策的轉變——意味著石油國家必須找到其他方式來維持其經濟發展。
比羅爾于10月13日在接受彭博電視臺采訪時說:“他們必須趁早做好準備。”
前景不佳
IEA在其年度《世界能源展望》(World Energy Outlook)中警告說,預計新冠肺炎疫情對全球石油需求的阻礙至少會持續到2023年,甚至更晚。
10月13日,比羅爾說:“石油需求的復蘇可能不會像我們幾個月前認為的那樣快,主要是因為世界各國政府并沒有很好地控制疫情蔓延。”
現在,石油需求復蘇的關鍵因素是新冠肺炎疫情——更確切地說,是全球經濟——何時才可以恢復到大流行前的水平。就目前而言,情況看起來并不好。
“經濟反彈可能比人們所希望的要來得慢。”比羅爾說。他認為,如果政府不改變政策,市場需求也不會向其他形式能源轉變。
然而,這還不是唯一的逆境。自新冠肺炎全球蔓延以來,IEA一直警告稱,任何經濟復蘇都必須囊括向低碳能源的轉型,包括從氫到核能等各種能源形式。
比羅爾說,這一轉變讓那些依賴石油和天然氣收入的國家改頭換面,在他們當中,很多國家的經濟與油價呈“一對一”的聯動關系。
他補充說,能源結構的多元化需要切實的財政手段。仿佛“舊事幻現”:這個情節早已老生常談,但到現在為止,(多元化)還是沒有實現。
比羅爾表示,這種(對石油的)依賴是“充滿風險且荊棘叢生的”(risky and dangerous),甚至包括沙特阿拉伯和伊拉克在內的石油經濟體也越來越關注相關警告和呼吁。
面臨風險的不僅僅是國家。隨著疫情緩解,油價下跌,包括休斯頓和卡爾加里在內的加拿大城市(和地區)也在努力應對他們的經濟未來。
IEA并沒有公布“石油峰值”的具體日期,比羅爾表示,業內認為石油需求峰值尚未過去,并預測隨著經濟復蘇,需求將會回升。與此同時,英國石油(BP)等行業巨頭也預測,石油需求實際上可能永遠不會復蘇,并提出了峰值已經過去的可能。
包括BP在內的幾家老牌石油和天然氣公司已經承諾到2050年實現碳排放“凈零”的目標,這也表明,即使在疫情期間,對化石燃料的替代工作仍然在繼續。(財富中文網)
編譯:楊二一
受到新冠肺炎疫情的影響,全球石油需求預計將持續數年受挫。石油出口國必須從根本上改變其經濟結構,以應對殘酷的現實。
這是國際能源署(IEA)的執行干事法提赫?比羅爾于10月13日傳遞的信息。該機構再次下調了石油前景預期。比羅爾警告說,由于新冠肺炎疫情,未來幾年,石油需求將會疲軟。
但即便在疫情消退之后,市場前景也將提振困難。IEA表示,到20世紀20年代末,石油需求才能達到與疫情前趨平的狀態——IEA更喜歡用“平穩期”一詞,而不是“石油峰值”。IEA的這一預測與歐佩克在上周的預測基本趨同。
經濟中某些明顯部分將發生轉變。IEA指出:“汽車的石油需求在未來十年內將維持在2019年的水平,到2030年后則將下降。”
期望值不高的未來市場,疊加當前石油需求的下降和價格的波動,以及世界多國氣候政策的轉變——意味著石油國家必須找到其他方式來維持其經濟發展。
比羅爾于10月13日在接受彭博電視臺采訪時說:“他們必須趁早做好準備。”
前景不佳
IEA在其年度《世界能源展望》(World Energy Outlook)中警告說,預計新冠肺炎疫情對全球石油需求的阻礙至少會持續到2023年,甚至更晚。
10月13日,比羅爾說:“石油需求的復蘇可能不會像我們幾個月前認為的那樣快,主要是因為世界各國政府并沒有很好地控制疫情蔓延。”
現在,石油需求復蘇的關鍵因素是新冠肺炎疫情——更確切地說,是全球經濟——何時才可以恢復到大流行前的水平。就目前而言,情況看起來并不好。
“經濟反彈可能比人們所希望的要來得慢。”比羅爾說。他認為,如果政府不改變政策,市場需求也不會向其他形式能源轉變。
然而,這還不是唯一的逆境。自新冠肺炎全球蔓延以來,IEA一直警告稱,任何經濟復蘇都必須囊括向低碳能源的轉型,包括從氫到核能等各種能源形式。
比羅爾說,這一轉變讓那些依賴石油和天然氣收入的國家改頭換面,在他們當中,很多國家的經濟與油價呈“一對一”的聯動關系。
他補充說,能源結構的多元化需要切實的財政手段。仿佛“舊事幻現”:這個情節早已老生常談,但到現在為止,(多元化)還是沒有實現。
比羅爾表示,這種(對石油的)依賴是“充滿風險且荊棘叢生的”(risky and dangerous),甚至包括沙特阿拉伯和伊拉克在內的石油經濟體也越來越關注相關警告和呼吁。
面臨風險的不僅僅是國家。隨著疫情緩解,油價下跌,包括休斯頓和卡爾加里在內的加拿大城市(和地區)也在努力應對他們的經濟未來。
IEA并沒有公布“石油峰值”的具體日期,比羅爾表示,業內認為石油需求峰值尚未過去,并預測隨著經濟復蘇,需求將會回升。與此同時,英國石油(BP)等行業巨頭也預測,石油需求實際上可能永遠不會復蘇,并提出了峰值已經過去的可能。
包括BP在內的幾家老牌石油和天然氣公司已經承諾到2050年實現碳排放“凈零”的目標,這也表明,即使在疫情期間,對化石燃料的替代工作仍然在繼續。(財富中文網)
編譯:楊二一
Oil demand is expected to take a years-long hit from COVID-19—and oil-dependent export nations must fundamentally shift their economies to meet that reality.
That was the message on October 13 from Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, which ultimately downgraded its oil outlook yet again. He warned that oil demand, thanks to COVID, will be weak in the coming years.
But even after the pandemic (hopefully) fades away, the market prospects don't look much better. Oil demand will ultimately flatten—the IEA prefers the word "plateau" to "peak oil"—by the end of the decade, the IEA says, a prediction similar to one made by OPEC last week.
You'll see that shift in some obvious parts of the economy. "This reinforces oil demand for cars plateauing in this decade at roughly 2019 levels of demand, before declining after 2030," the IEA said.
That future, paired with current sinking demand for oil and volatile prices, and broad shifts towards climate policies worldwide, means that the world's petrostates must find other ways to sustain their economies.
"They have to prepare themselves before it is too late," Birol said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on October 13.
A weak outlook
In its annual World Energy Outlook, the IEA warned that COVID-19 is now expected to depress global oil demand until at least 2023, or even later.
"The recovery of oil demand may not be as quickly as we or the others thought a few months ago, mainly because of the governments around the world not being able to have the coronavirus under control," Birol said on October 13.
The crucial factor for oil demand is now the virus—more to the point, when will the global economy return to pre-pandemic levels. And it doesn't look good.
"The rebound may be slower than one hopes to see," he said. Demand also won't shift to other forms of energy without changes in government policy, Birol said.
But it's not the only headwind. Since the start of the pandemic, the IEA has been warning that any economic recovery must include the energy transition to low-carbon sources, including the full range of options, from hydrogen to nuclear.
That shift will transform countries that depend on oil and gas revenues—many of which have economies with a "one to one" relationship with oil prices, Birol said.
Such a diversification requires serious financial means, and he added that there is an element of déjà vu: "we saw this movie before, and [diversification] didn't happen."
But such a dependency is now "risky and dangerous," he said, and even oil economies including Saudi Arabia and Iraq are increasingly heeding the call, he added.
It's not just countries that are at risk. As the pandemic has sunk oil prices once again, cities and regions including Houston and Calgary, Canada are also grappling with what their economic future will look like.
The IEA did not lay out a specific date for "peak oil," and Birol said the industry does not think that the peak for oil demand has already passed, forecasting that demand will return as economies recover. Meanwhile, industry majors like BP have also forecast that oil demand may in fact never recover, and laid out some scenarios where the peak has already passed.
Several major legacy oil and gas companies, including BP, have committed to "net zero" carbon emissions goals by 2050, also indicating a shift away from fossil fuels that has continued even amidst the pandemic.