International oil companies will probably cut investment spending about $370 billion this year and next, according to Wood MacKenzie Ltd., just as the United Arab Emirates warned that the “massive” number of projects being delayed because of the drop in crude prices could create a future shortage.
Further investment cuts will mean a 3 percent reduction this year in oil and natural gas production, equivalent to 5 million barrels of oil, and another 4 percent, or 6 million barrels, in 2017, Jessica Brewer, a Middle East analyst for WoodMac, said in an interview at the company’s Dubai office Thursday. The global oil industry has postponed a number of projects, raising the risk of a slump in output and a potential shortfall in supply, U.A.E. Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei told reporters in Abu Dhabi. -Bloomberg
