2016

OPEC raised its outlook for oil use in 2018, 2019 and 2020, when it sees demand reaching 98.3 million barrels a day, or 900,000 more than the group projected in its previous annual outlook.

Oil producers would love to see higher prices, but OPEC so far has been unable to cut output. In September, OPEC agreed to have a committee look at potentially cutting production to 32.5 million to 33 million barrels a day, shaving off 700,000 barrels a day — some 2 percent of overall production.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were trading at $46.29 per barrel at 0705 GMT, up 71 cents, or 1.56 percent, from their previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 730 cents, or 1.66 percent, at $44.80 a barrel.

OPEC, which pumps about 40 percent of the world’s oil, meets on Nov. 30 in Vienna to try to implement its first cuts in eight years after agreeing to trim output in Algiers at the end of September. Two years ago Saudi Arabia faced an impasse, Al-Naimi said, commenting on OPEC’s decision to pump without limits.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $36.4 billion in September, down $4.0 billion from $40.5 billion in August, revised. September exports were $189.2 billion, $1.0 billion more than August exports. September imports were $225.6 billion, $3.0 billion less than August imports.

Sinopec Ltd. reported that Fuling shale gas field in southwestern China produced a cumulative 3.76 billion cu m of gas from January to September. The 107% increase in production was accompanied by additional processing capacity of 5.5-6.5 bcm, the company said. In 2014, Sinopec announced plans to bring production capacity to 10 bcm/year by 2017.

After a decade of volatile GDP growth and steadily increasing gas and power demand, Mexico continues to progress toward an unbundling of the monopolies Pemex and CFE once held over its gas and power sectors. According to a recent study by Wood Mackenzie, these reforms have created the potential for approximately US$415 billion in investment over the next two decades as the country builds pipelines, develops a renewables market to meet clean energy targets, and sets the stage for M&A.

The worldwide rig count for October 2016 was 1,620, up 36 from the 1,584 counted in September 2016, and down 466 from the 2,086 counted in October 2015.

U.S. Rig Count is down 202 rigs from last year's count of 771, with oil rigs down 122, gas rigs down 82, and miscellaneous rigs up 2. Canadian Rig Count is down 31 rigs from last year's count of 185, with oil rigs down 3, gas rigs down 29, and miscellaneous rigs up 1.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 fell by 70 cents to $45.97 by 0611 ET and Brent crude LCOc1 was down 69 cents at $47.45. Both contracts were at their lowest since Sept. 28.