Abstract

The demand for countermeasures to global warming continues to increase throughout the world. The long-term prospects of energy supply have been reported inside and outside Japan during the period from 2004 to 2005. The two reports both present a similar outlook that petroleum energy will still be the dominant source of energy in 2030. The future trend of petroleum energy use in the transport sector is considered the key to stabilize the supply and demand of energy. With respect to marine fuel oil, developments in global environmental regulations are expected to greatly affect the demand-supply trend and quality of the international commodity. This paper analyzes such trends that provide a basis for addressing the issues of energy demand and supply and future quality of energy.