*With this year’s global oil demand whacked by Covid, China has been the one bright spot. Imports for the first 10 months of 2020 are up 11% year-on-year at 11.03mn b/d, making 2020 as a whole sure to smash 2019’s record 10.13mn b/d (MEES, 7 February).
*This year has seen Saudi Arabia (number one for 2019 with 1.67mn b/d) and Russia (top for the preceding three years) battle it out for top supplier spot. With Russia some 170,000 b/d ahead for October, it is now some 40,000 b/d ahead of Saudi Arabia for the first ten months of 2020 as a whole (see charts). (CONTINUED - 573 WORDS)
