Why I Love To Blog -- Reason #3 -- February 15, 2018

Earlier today Don sent me this link (which I quietly posted at the time but I assume most missed it), from CNBC, Boeing wants to produce a plane every ten (10) hours by 2020 (according to the CEO, and he's likely to be in a position to know), only one data point needs to be added:

• the world's aircraft fleets are "going to double in size" over the next 20 years

Don made the profound observation (in case anyone missed it), Boeing ain't building airplanes to park 'em. This is is going to have a profound effect on crude oil demand. The US government sets CAFE standards for private automobiles, but there are no CAFE standards for commercial aircraft, and it's unlikely we'll see "electric" airplanes any time soon. Don't even get me started.

But back to the #3 reason I love to blog. Don sent me that link earlier today, and make the comment that this would have a profound effect on crude oil demand.

Now, less than six hours later, this headline from oilprice.com:  the most bullish indicator for long-term oil demand --

The rise of electric vehicles has prompted many analysts to start trying to pinpoint the year in which global oil demand will peak and start to decline irreversibly in the face of electrification and improved vehicle efficiency. While forecasts range from “in a decade” to “not in your lifetime,” transportation above ground — not the ‘flying cars’ hype, but airline travel — is expected to continue to grow for decades to come.

Air carriers use a middle distillate of oil — jet fuel — and as far as demand for air travel goes, jet fuel demand will be the fastest-growing transportation fuel at least until 2050, because current forecasts by international agencies only try to predict oil demand until that date.

On the one hand, global demand for air travel is set to grow with increased globalization and leisure travel, as well as with the expanding middle class in emerging economies with higher income to spend on business and tourism travels by plane. On the other hand, unlike with EVs, currently there aren’t viable alternatives to jet fuel that are cost competitive and feasible on a commercial scale. So the fuel for growing airline traffic will come from a middle distillate of crude oil.

Airline traffic figures for 2017 are in, and they show high passenger traffic demand, with economic growth picking up globally. Air cargo demand was also strong on the back of robust global demand for manufactured goods.

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Mr Bojangles, Jerry Jeff Walker and Todd Snider