Oil Edges Higher to End Turbulent Trading Week
(Bloomberg) -- Even a minuscule decline in U.S. stockpiles was enough to give oil prices a boost after a turbulent week of trading.
Futures in New York rose after the Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. crude inventories fell by 46,000 barrels last week, the smallest decrease since 2011. The decline was viewed positively following the American Petroleum Institute’s reported 6.92 million-barrel crude build on Thursday. Still, crude posted a third consecutive weekly loss.
Meanwhile, gasoline stockpiles rose by the most since June, while crude production also increased, keeping price rallies limited.
“We were expecting a pretty meaningful build,” so even though the stockpile decline was small, “it was a bit of a relief for the market,” said Brian Kessens, who helps manage $16 billion in energy assets at Tortoise in Leawood, Kansas. "Oil is largely just trading with the broader market sentiment and a little less on the fundamentals.”
Crude oil and the equity market have swung between large gains and steep losses this week as uncertainty persists over the global economy and turmoil in Washington carries on. Oil is on track for its worst quarterly loss since 2014 amid global growth fears and doubts over the effectiveness of OPEC’s production-cut agreement.
“I can see a couple more draws coming due to tax maneuvering,” said Ashley Petersen, an oil analyst at Stratas Advisors LLC in New York. “It’s good to see the market coming to its senses and entering a bit more of a wait-and-see mode.”
West Texas Intermediate crude for February added 72 cents to settle at $45.33 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Total volume traded Friday was 18 percent below the 100-day average. Futures posted a 0.6 percent weekly decline.
Brent for February settlement rose 4 cents in its last trading session before expiry, closing at $52.20 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange. The more active March contract added 48 cents to $53.21.
The EIA data also showed gasoline stockpiles climbed by about 3 million barrels last week and crude production jumped to 11.7 million barrels a day. Distillate inventories rose by 2,000 barrels.
Other oil market news: Gasoline futures rose 1.7 percent to settle at $1.3262 a gallon. Physical oil markets need to show signs of improvement before flat prices can start to rally, according to the founders of hedging advisory company Commodities Trading Corporation.
With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima and Grant Smith. To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Summers in New York at jsummers24@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net Catherine Traywick, Carlos Caminada.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Japan Failing to Meet Corporate Demand for Clean Power: Amazon
- Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
- Oman Sees Increasing Ship-to-Ship Transfers of Russian Oil Bound for India
- Ithaca Energy Studies Deal for Eni's UK Upstream Assets
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Falcon Oil Declares Commercial Flow Test Results for Shenandoah Well
- Japan Failing to Meet Corporate Demand for Clean Power: Amazon
- Macquarie Strategists Expect Brent Oil Price to Grind Higher
- UK Oil Regulator Publishes New Emissions Reduction Plan
- PetroChina Posts Higher Annual Profit on Higher Production
- McDermott Settles Reficar Dispute
- US, SKorea Launch Task Force to Stop Illicit Refined Oil Flows into NKorea
- Pennsylvania County Joins List of Local Govts Suing Big Oil over Climate
- Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
- USA Commercial Crude Oil Inventories Increase
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Standard Chartered Reiterates $94 Brent Call
- India Halts Russia Oil Supplies From Sanctioned Tanker Giant
- DOI Announces Proposal for Second GOM Offshore Wind Auction
- Centcom, Dryad Outline Recent Moves Around Red Sea Region
- PetroChina Set to Receive Venezuelan Oil
- Czech Conglomerate to Buy Major Stake in Gasnet for $917MM
- US DOE Offers $44MM in Funding to Boost Clean Power Distribution
- Oil Settles Lower as Stronger Dollar Offsets Tighter Market
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Another Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea