News In Brief

The West's demand for oil tops 1st-quarter forecast

Noncommunist world oil demand in the first quarter of 1984 has grown faster than previously expected, led by North America and the Pacific, the International Energy Agency said.

In its latest monthly oil market report the Paris-based agency said: ''First estimates for first quarter 1984 consumption show a sharp increase of 5.7 percent for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area as a whole.''

Both North America and the Pacific regions were experiencing colder than normal winters, the agengy said. But for the European region, a continuing decline in consumption was expected.