API: signs of recovery

Motor gasoline accounted for more than 80% of the demand increase with monthly deliveries surging nearly 29% to 7.3 million bpd after reaching a multi-decade low in April. Demand for distillate fuel and liquid feedstocks also notched monthly increases, while jet fuel posted its fifth consecutive monthly decline and reached its lowest level since 1967.

“The underlying market fundamentals still appear constructive and should position the US natural gas and oil industry to play an important role in the recovery of the global economy,” API Chief Economist Dean Foreman said. “Market forces are in the midst of driving an unprecedented realignment of oil markets despite significant uncertainty around the rate of recovery and longevity of the pandemic. The uptick in demand associated with the gradual reopening of state economies leads us to be cautiously optimistic that the worst may be behind us.”

On the supply side, reduced drilling activity led to a 0.6 million bpd decrease in US crude oil production, which averaged 11.4 million bpd in May. By contrast, US NGL production held relatively steady at 4.8 million bpd, down 0.8% from the month prior. These production decreases correspond with a record fall in US drilling activity, which has declined 70% year to date in response to the unprecedented and abrupt decline in demand.

Read the full May 2020 Monthly Statistical Report here and the Q2 2020 Industry Outlook here.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/22062020/api-signs-of-recovery/