PARIS - Car-pools and driving restrictions could help shave at least a million barrels a day (bpd) from industrialised nations' oil demand in the event of a supply crisis, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.
They are among measures an IEA study 'Saving Oil in a Hurry' says consuming nations must plan to ease potential shortages and price rises which could result from a large disruption to international supplies. (See table on
).
Oil prices have already risen to record highs above $58 this year as surging demand in Asia's emerging economies pushes world supplies close to current capacity. Goldman Sachs bank has warned of a potential 'super-spike' to $100 a barrel.
"We find that there are a number of different measures available that, at relatively low implementation cost, could together save upwards of a million barrels per day of oil, if implemented aggressively across all IEA countries," said IEA Executive Director Claude Mandil. Tighter motorway speed limits, special lanes for shared cars, free or cheaper public transport, a more compressed working week, and more telecommuting to reduce travel to and from work were among other measures suggested in the study."
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