According to a draft of the International Energy Agency's 2011 World Energy Outlook which also raised its view of long run prices, the jump in oil prices in the past year is adding to concern about the economy.
The draft dated July 2011, obtained by Reuters ahead of the publication's launch next week assumes nominal oil prices of USD 114 per barrel in 2015 and USD 212 in 2035. Last year's report assumed prices of USD 104 and USD 204 by those dates.
Brent oil prices hit a 2011 high of USD 127 per barrel in April as the conflict in Libya shut down its supplies. The IEA, which represents 28 industrialized countries, has repeatedly said that this year oil prices pose a threat to growth.
The draft report said that the dramatic rise in oil prices since September 2010 has added to doubts about near term economic prospects. Brent was trading at USD 82 per barrel at the end of September 2010. The IEA is scheduled to release this year's report, its flagship publication in London.
Prices are expected to go up over the long run as rising demand requires the development of more costly sources of supply. The price assumed by the IEA refers to the average crude import cost to IEA members a proxy for international prices.
The draft report also said unrest in the Middle East and North Africa or the Arab Spring added additional risk to the global economy as it has pushed oil prices higher. The risk remains that if the unrest worsens or spreads to major exporting countries in the region, it could lead to a surge in energy prices that could tip the global economy back into recession.
IEA members are required to hold emergency oil inventories for use during supply disruptions. In June, it decided to release 60 million barrels in response to the loss of Libya's exports, only the third such move in the IEA's 37 year history.
The oil price assumptions are those of the IEA's New Policies Scenario which includes the impact of measures announced, if not implemented by countries around the world to tackle energy challenges such as climate change. While the draft IEA report indicated concern about the near term health of the economy, it is more upbeat about longer-term prospects.
The report assumes world GDP will rise by an average of 3.6% from 2009 to 2035 compared with 3.1% from 1990 to 2009 higher than seen in last year's report.
(Sourced from www.arabianbusiness.com)
