World oil demand in 2015 grew by around 1.54 mb/d, unchanged from last month’s report. Total oil consumption averaged 92.98 mb/d. In 2016, world oil demand is projected to rise by 1.20 mb/d to reach 94.18 mb/d, unchanged from last month’s projections, despite upward revisions to Other Asia, which were counterbalanced by downward revisions to Latin America and China.

Russia’s economy is closer to growth than at any time since it slid into recession and central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina is focusing on what she says are “positive signals.”

Several Russian officials say the government is considering raising income-tax levels and increasing value-added tax but that any changes would only take place after 2018—a presidential election year.

“Markets fluctuate, but we know that science does not. You have to be patient. The cycle from discovery to deployment can take decades.”

Without any of those reforms, Saudi Arabia’s financial troubles would continue to intensify.

The Paris-based agency said global oil stocks will experience a “dramatic reduction” in the second half of the year, but also warned that they will continue to increase in the first half of the year as Iran ramps up its production, adding to the nearly two years of oversupply.

The July crude oil contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange gained $1.66 to $47.01/bbl.The Brent crude contract for July on London’s ICE jumped $2.08 to $47.60/bbl. The August contract climbed $2.02 to $48.03/bbl.

Russian oil and gas condensate production may reach 544.6 million tonnes this year, rising to 565 million tonnes in 2017.

Changes to the data in this month’s confirm the direction of travel of the oil market towards balance. The net result of our changes to demand and supply data is that we expect to see global oil stocks increase by 1.3 million b/d in the first half of 2016 followed by a dramatic reduction in the second half of 2016 to 200,000 b/d.

Saudi Arabia is going through one of the most difficult periods in its modern history. Oil prices have dropped from a July 2014 high of $115 per barrel to less than $30 per barrel in January this year. The country is surrounded by failed states: Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria and, arguably, Lebanon. It has a demographic bulge of ambitious, but exceedingly frustrated, young men and women whose expectations differ dramatically from those of their parents. And it faces an emboldened Iran eager to interfere in the affairs of Arab countries, and with the financial wherewithal to do so, via proxy armed militia.