Arab energy consumption jumps to 7m bpd

The Arab countries overall consumption of energy increased by 5 percent on an annual basis during the period from 1980 to 2009, a specialized energy study has revealed. The study, compiled by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), showed that Arab energy consumption blossomed from 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 1980 to 7 million bpd in 2009. The Arab consumption of natural gas also soared by 6.9 percent during the corresponding period, the study added. The data also showed the electricity consumption in Arab countries have risen by 7.6 percent during the same period. The study unveiled that the transport sector's share of the oil consumption has increased from 42.2 percent to 53.7 percent while industrial sector's share decreased from 42.1 percent to 33.1 percent. Other sectors' share retreated from 15.7 percent to 13.2 percent in the corresponding period, it added. On the other hand, the industrial sector's share of the natural consumption ballooned from 79.1 percent to 90.7 percent while other sectors' share dwindled from 20.9 percent to 9.3 percent in the same period.