Nobuo Tanaka replaced Claude Mandil his position at the IEA. Fatih Birol is still the chief economist. It is said that the changeover from Mandil to Tanaka did lead to a different perspective within the IEA that is now driving upwards. But I have no proof of this, which makes it speculation.

I don't think this has anything to do with the EIA monthly corrections. Doesn't sound logical at all.

Yes, but Tanaka is rarely mentioned in the press, at least on this side of the pond. At some point--wish I could nail down when--the spokesman reguarly cited in the press switched from Mandil to Birol, which seemed to correspond with a distinct change in the tone of their announcements. Scuttlebutt I heard at ASPO-USA last year was that it was due to Birol's being convinced of a relatively near-term peak oil. My point about EIA is that they seem to have followed IEA, starting two or three years ago, in downward revising their projections. (Sorry, I didn't mean the historical monthly corrections.)