• CERAWEEK 2025 | March 10-14, 2025
  • CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

James R. Burkhard

S&P Global

Vice President & Head of Research for Oil Markets, Energy and Mobility

Jim Burkhard, Vice President, Oil Markets, Energy & Mobility at S&P Global, is recognized as one of the world’s top analysts on global oil markets, scenarios, and on the future of energy and transportation. Jim has over 25 years of experience in energy market research and analysis. He is responsible for the development and coordination of S&P Global (previously IHS Markit) research, insights and messages for global and regional crude oil markets and scenarios. His expertise covers geopolitics, industry dynamics, global energy demand and supply, and mobility trends. In addition to oil markets, Jim leads research into how changes in the automotive ecosystem are impacting the future of energy and automotive markets via our Mobility and Energy Future service. He led the ground-breaking IHS Markit study, Reinventing the Wheel (RTW): The future of cars, oil, chemicals, and electric power. RTW has been cited by numerous press outlets around the world including the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, and media outlets in China, Europe, and India. Jim is a principal leader in the creation and development of global energy scenarios that bring together the entirety of the firm’s energy research to form an integrated global outlook for the future of energy. The 2006 scenarios pointed to a major debt-induced global crisis two years before the 2008 recession; and in 2011, identified the roadmap to $50 oil by 2014/15. In February 2020 his team was among the first to recognize the scale of the spring 2020 world oil demand collapse and the possibility of negative oil pricing, which occurred in April 2020. Jim has testified before the US Congress on energy issues and is frequently sought for comment by global media. He has served on two US National Petroleum Council (NPC) studies that provide policy recommendations to the US Secretary of Energy on oil and gas infrastructure. Prior to joining Cambridge Energy Research Associates before its acquisition by IHS Markit, Mr. Burkhard was a member of the US Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa, where he directed infrastructure projects to improve water availability and credit facilities. He holds a BA from Hamline University and an MS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Sessions With James R. Burkhard

Tuesday, 19 March

  • 11:50am - 12:40pm (CST) / 19/mar/2024 04:50 pm - 19/mar/2024 05:40 pm

    Oil Markets in 2024-2025: Abundance or scarcity?
    Markets Fundamentals

    Oil markets are entering a new “normal” phase. Demand growth is cooling from the post-Covid surge and will be shaped by global economic growth, inflation, interest rates, China and a gradual but profound structural shift in the transportation fleet. While demand growth is cooling, non-OPEC supply growth is rising sharply, leading OPEC+ to reduce output to rebalance the market. At the same time, the war in Ukraine and outbreak of conflict in the Middle East has injected significant geopolitical risk into the market. How will these new oil fundamentals develop over the next two years?  

Wednesday, 20 March

  • 02:30pm - 03:10pm (CST) / 20/mar/2024 07:30 pm - 20/mar/2024 08:10 pm

    Oil Demand: How will it look in a decade?
    Markets Fundamentals

    Few topics polarize oil markets as much as the trajectory of oil demand and the timing of an eventual “peak.” There are a broad array of scenarios and outlooks, painting very different pictures of when and how high global demand will peak. But one common thread remains throughout, liquids demand will remain a core component of the global energy mix for decades to come. What are the key factors that will shape the long-term demand profile and how will the industry position itself to meet demand for decades to come?  

Friday, 22 March