Energy experts say an optimal oil price should be between US$80 and $90 a barrel but the market will have to wait some time for prices to rebound.
Global crude prices began to decline in the second half of 2014 and ended the year at about $50 a barrel, down from copy05 at the end of 2013.
The economic slowdown could translate into declining energy demand in line with decreasing spending power, but the supply side of the major oil-exporting countries remains intact.