IEA sees oil supply crunch looming

LONDON (Reuters) – World oil demand will rise faster than expected to 2012 while production lags, leading to a supply crunch, the International Energy Agency said on Monday.

In its Medium-Term Oil Market Report, the adviser to 26 industrialized countries said demand will rise by an average 2.2 percent a year between 2007 and 2012, up from a previous medium-term forecast of 2 percent.

The outlook, which updates an IEA forecast last issued in February, coincides with a jump in oil prices to more than $75 a barrel, closing in on a record high near $79, on concerns of a tightening market.

“Despite four years of high oil prices, this report sees increasing market tightness beyond 2010,” the IEA said.

“It is possible that the supply crunch could be deferred — but not by much.”

Reuters