Petroleum Economics - World Consumption of Petroleum and Its Substitutes in 1941

WoRld consumption of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941, the amount of which obviously is largely conjectural, is estimated at 2,066,653,000 bbl. This is 48,689,000 bbl. more than the previous year and is an all-time high. Except for the United States, this figure does not include consumption for military purposes. Consumption in the United States also reached an all-time high during 1941, totaling 1,492,000,000 bbl., or 158,230,000 bbl. more than the previous peak year of 1940. On the other hand, it is estimated that civil consumption in countries outside of the United States decreased 109,541,ooo bbl. as compared with the previous year. Demand for military purposes and/or additions to stocks in countries outside of the United States is estimated at 304,507,000 bbl. during 1941, compared with 209,635,000 bbl. in 1940. This increase was due largely to blitzkrieg warfare on several fronts. especially Russia; entailing large expenditures of petroleum by both sides because of the immense area covered by the fighting forces, the long supply lines necessary and the intensity of the fighting. It is interesting to note in this connection that Axis-controlled countries, excluding Japan, had an estimated production of approximately 89,000,000 bbl. of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941. The peacetime consumption of these countries in 1938, for example, was about 183,000,000 bbl. It is believed that the minimum to which civil consumption could possibly be re-duced in wartime is 20 per cent of that of peacetime, which would call for a minimum consumption of 37,000,000 bbl. in these countries in 1941 for civil purposes. This