71% of world's energy demand growth is from China

The BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2012 - the 61st annual report is launched today - highlights disruptions to supplies and ever-increasing demand as the two big energy stories of 2011.

In the foreground, the ‘Arab Spring’ affected oil and gas supplies—most notably the complete, albeit temporary, loss of Libyan supply—while the tragic Fukushima accident in Japan had knock-on effects for nuclear and other energy sources around the world. These shocks pushed energy prices higher in much of the world, with oil prices reaching a record average of over $100 per barrel (bbl) for the first time in history.

Meanwhile, the background long-term trends continue, with global energy consumption growth of 2.5%, near the historical average, and the emerging economies continuing to expand their share of the total. OECD countries’ energy demand actually shrank by around 0.8% last year, while growth of 5.3% was seen in emerging economies.