OMCs predict fuel price surge in next pricing window amid global oil pressures

12 Jan 2015, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China — A Chinese worker holds an oil nozzle at a gas station in Nantong city, east China’s Jiangsu province, 12 January 2015. China’s crude oil imports rose above 7 million barrels per day for the first time in December, reaching record levels as plunging international prices allowed the world’s largest importer to fill strategic and commercial reserves. International crude prices are near six-year lows, revisiting levels last seen in the wake of the global financial crisis. While price controls over transport fuels limit the boost to the Chinese economy, the drop has presented an unusual opportunity for China to increase reserves of crude oil at relatively little cost. China imported 7.15 million bpd in December, bringing its full-year crude imports to a record 308 million tonnes up nearly 10 per cent on the year. Some of that additional demand reflects economic growth — Image by © Imaginechina/Corbis