Sectors such as plastics and aviation expected to bolster oil demand
Oil demand may not peak until 2040s – Vitol
Near-term demand expected to reach pre-pandemic levels by summer 2022 as air travel rebounds
Oil demand could peak in the road transport sector as early as 2026 but may not top out in other sectors—including plastics and aviation—until the 2030s and 2040s, says leading oil trader Vitol. Growing uptake of electric vehicles could see gasoline and diesel demand peak in 2026, 2027 or 2028, Vitol CEO Russell Hardy told the Energy Intelligence Forum 2021. But demand for jet fuel in the aviation sector may not peak until the 2040s, he added. “Jet fuel has a kind of substitute in sustainable aviation fuel. But clearly, there is a lot of investment needed to create production capacity for that fuel to even start to dent jet fuel demand,” Hardy says. Demand for oil from the plastics sector ma
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub
