Reuters reports that an official with the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that renewed lockdown measures in Europe aimed at containing a rise in COVID-19 cases appear set to push the outlook for global oil demand toward the downside.

Keisuke Sadamori, IEA director for energy markets and security, told the impact would, however, likely be less severe than under lockdowns earlier in the year.

"Major parts of the European continent are in lockdown. This would surely work toward the negative side," he said in an interview, but stopped short of saying the group would formally lower its forecast.

"We certainly expect this time for there to be a lower impact than the last lockdown ... This time schools are kept open and some of the stores are still open."

The IEA kept its 2020 and 2021 oil demand forecast steady in its monthly report on Oct. 14, before major European countries including Germany, France and the United Kingdom imposed strict new curbs on movement to check the spread of the virus. The IEA is set to publish its next analysis of the oil market on Thursday.