Economy
OPEC Revises Oil Demand Growth to 95.89mb/d in 2021
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has revised down its global oil demand growth forecast for 2021 as a result of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic despite the roll-out of vaccines in several countries.
The oil cartel in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) forecast that demand will total 95.89 million barrels per day next year in contrast to its previous forecast of 96.26 million barrels per day.
The downward revision reflects the uncertainty surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on transportation fuels in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) economies in the first half of next year.
OPEC estimates their recovery to be capped at 2019 levels and forecasts for a mild winter in the northern hemisphere are pressuring the outlook for middle distillates demand.
Economic growth next year and the related impact on oil demand recovery depends on uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, policies of the incoming US administrations, Brexit and trade negotiations, the cartel said.
Recent news regarding vaccination programmes in most major economies provides upside to next year’s GDP growth forecast of 4.4 per cent.
The UK became the first country to start rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine that US firm Pfizer has developed with Germany’s Biontech earlier this month.
The organisation assumes vaccines will be gradually available globally by the second half of 2021. It said, “Earlier availability would allow a faster-than-anticipated move towards normalisation,” the report said.
Lower transportation fuel demand in the US and OECD Europe led to a downward revision in OPEC’s demand forecast for 2020, which is now pegged at 89.99 million barrels per day, 9.77 million barrels per day lower than 2019. In November, the OPEC report predicted a 9.75 million barrels per day drop in this year’s consumption.
On the supply side, non-OPEC liquids have been revised lower for this year and for 2021. Non-OPEC supply is now expected to average 62.67 million barrels per day this year, down by 2.5 million barrels per day from 2019.
Last month’s report estimated a 2.43 million barrels per day drop to 62.73 million barrels per day. This change reflects lower-than-expected output in the fourth quarter of 2020, mainly in the US, partially offset by revisions to output in Russia and Canada.
Non-OPEC supply is forecast to rebound by 850,000 b/d to average 63.52 million barrels per day next year, a slower pace of growth than the 950,000 barrels per day increase predicted in last month’s MOMR.
“This is mainly due to downward revisions to Russia, following the new decision taken at the recent ministerial meeting of the OPEC and Non-OPEC countries participating in the declaration of co-operation,” the report said.
The trimmed Non-OPEC supply forecast for this year has resulted in an upward revision to the call on OPEC members’ own crude, which is now estimated at 22.2 million barrels per day in 2020, down by 7.1 million barrels per day from 2019. But the forecast call on OPEC crude for next year has been revised down by almost 200,000 barrels per day from last month’s report, to 27.17 million barrels per day.
OPEC crude production averaged 25.11 million barrels per day in November, up by 707,000 barrels per day from October.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The duo of Afriland Properties Plc and Geo-Fluids Plc crashed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by a marginal 0.06 per cent on Wednesday, December 11 due to profit-taking activities.
The OTC securities exchange experienced a downfall at midweek despite UBN Property Plc posting a price appreciation of 17 Kobo to close at N1.96 per share, in contrast to Tuesday’s closing price of N1.79.
Business Post reports that Afriland Properties Plc slid by N1.14 to finish at N15.80 per unit versus the preceding day’s N16.94 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc declined by 1 Kobo to trade at N3.92 per share compared with the N3.93 it ended a day earlier.
At the close of transactions, the market capitalisation of the bourse, which measures the total value of securities on the platform, shrank by N650 million to finish at N1.055 trillion compared with the previous day’s N1.056 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went down by 1.86 points to wrap the session at 3,012.50 points compared with 3,014.36 points recorded in the previous session.
The alternative stock market was busy yesterday as the volume of securities traded by investors soared by 146.9 per cent to 5.9 million units from 2.4 million units, as the value of shares transacted by the market participants jumped by 360.9 per cent to N22.5 million from N4.9 million, and the number of deals increased by 50 per cent to 21 deals from 14 deals.
When the bourse closed for the day, Geo-Fluids Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 1.7 billion units valued at N3.9 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units worth N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc 297.5 million units sold for N5.3 million.
Also, Aradel Holdings Plc, which is now listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited after its exit from NASD, remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 108.7 million units sold for N89.2 billion, trailed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc with 297.5 million units worth N5.3 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The euphoria around the recent appreciation of the Naira eased on Wednesday, December 11 after its value shrank against the US Dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) by N5.23 or 0.3 per cent to N1,547.50/$1 from the N1,542.27/$1 it was valued on Tuesday.
It was observed that spectators’ activities may have triggered the weakening of the local currency in the official market at midweek as they tried to fight back and ensure the value of funds in foreign currencies strengthened.
The domestic currency was regaining its footing after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched an Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) platform to tackle speculation and improve transparency in Nigeria’s FX market.
At midweek, the Nigerian currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling by N3.56 to close at N1,958.68/£1 compared with the preceding day’s N1,955.12/£1 and against the Euro, it slumped by 34 Kobo to trade at N1,612.66/€1, in contrast to the previous session’s N1,613.00/€1.
As for the black market segment, the Naira lost N45 against the American currency during the session to quote at N1,670/$1 compared with the N1,625/$1 it was traded a day earlier.
A look at the cryptocurrency market showed a recovery following profit-taking as the US Consumer Price Index report matched economist forecasts.
The news was enough to convince traders that the Federal Reserve is certain to trim its benchmark fed funds rate another 25 basis points at its meeting next week.
The move also saw Bitcoin (BTC), the most valued coin, return to the $100,000 mark as it added a 2.9 per cent gain and sold for $100,566.12.
The biggest gainer was Cardano (ADA), which jumped by 15.00 per cent to trade at $1.16, as Litecoin (LTC) appreciated by 10.4 per cent to sell for $121.76, and Ethereum (ETH) surged by 7.0 per cent to $3,929.30, while Dogecoin (DOGE) recorded a 6.7 per cent growth to finish at $0.4181.
Further, Binance Coin (BNB) went up by 5.2 per cent to $716.72, Solana (SOL) expanded by 4.6 per cent to $229.77, and Ripple (XRP) increased by 4.2 per cent to $2.43, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 apiece.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Dangote Refinery located in the Lekki area of Lagos State has made its first export of premium motor spirit (PMS) just three months after it commenced the production of petrol.
In September 2024, the refinery produced its first petrol and began loading to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) on September 15.
However, due to some issues, the facility has not been able to flood the local market with its product, forcing it to look elsewhere.
In a landmark move for regional energy integration, Dangote Refinery has partnered with Neptune Oil to take its petrol to neighbouring Cameroon.
Neptune Oil is a leading energy company in Cameroon which provides reliable and sustainable energy solutions.
Dangote Refinery said this development showcases its ability to meet domestic needs and position itself as a key player in the regional energy market, adding that it represents a significant step forward in accessing high-quality and locally sourced petroleum products for Cameroon.
“This first export of PMS to Cameroon is a tangible demonstration of our vision for a united and energy-independent Africa.
“With this development, we are laying the foundation for a future where African resources are refined and exchanged within the continent for the benefit of our people,” the owner of Dangote Refinery, Mr Aliko Dangote, said.
His counterpart at Neptune Oil, Mr Antoine Ndzengue, said, “This partnership with Dangote Refinery marks a turning point for Cameroon.
“By becoming the first importer of petroleum products from this world-class refinery, we are bolstering our country’s energy security and supporting local economic development.
“This initial supply, executed without international intermediaries, reflects our commitment to serving our markets independently and efficiently.”
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