Diesel demand to hit record highs during elections in 2019

Surging diesel consumption in India, the world's third-largest oil user, underscores the country's importance as a driver of global oil demand. Amid increasing concerns that crude demand growth may slip in 2019 because of slowing economic growth, India's burgeoning fuel consumption may help underpin oil and fuel prices. Analysts at Fitch Solutions and consultants Wood Mackenzie forecast India's diesel demand to rise in 2019 by 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively, from 2018. The country consumed a record 6.9 million tonnes of diesel a month in 2018, or about 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), data from the Ministry of Petroleum showed.