2019-05-30 18:25:00
OIL PRICE: NEAR $69 YET
REUTERS - Oil prices fell on Thursday on fears of a global economic slowdown due to a U.S.-China trade war but losses were capped by a tightening crude market and rising political tensions in the Middle East.
Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $69.03 per barrel at 1325 GMT, down 42 cents, or 0.6%, from their last close.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 23 cents, or 0.4%, at $59.04 a barrel, supported by expectations of a fall in U.S. crude inventories.
A senior Chinese diplomat ramped up the rhetoric against the United States on Thursday by comparing actions from Washington to “naked economic terrorism”.
Bernstein said that under “a full-blown trade war scenario” global oil demand would grow by just 0.7 percent this year, only half of current estimates.
Because of weakening demand, Bernstein said any upside for oil markets was capped despite relatively tight supply.
Oil prices have been supported in recent months by output cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other major producers as well as falling supplies from Iran.
Iranian May crude exports dropped to less than half of April levels at around 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) after the United States tightened sanctions on Tehran’s main source of income. Iran needs to export at least 1.5-2.0 million bpd of crude to balance its books.
Arab leaders gather in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for emergency summits that Riyadh hopes will deliver a strong message to Iran that regional powers will defend their interests against any threat following attacks on Gulf oil assets this month.
Many analysts also expect the OPEC-led supply cuts to be extended until the end of 2019 as the group wants to prevent oil prices falling back to levels seen in late 2018 when Brent slumped to $50 per barrel.
Since OPEC and its allies started withholding supply in January, oil prices have risen by about 30 percent.
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Earlier:
2019, May, 29, 11:20:00
OIL PRICE: ABOVE $69 YET
Front-month Brent crude futures were at $69.53 a barrel at 0641 GMT, down 58 cents, or 0.8%, from last session’s close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $58.46 per barrel, down 70 cents, or 1.2%, from their last settlement.
2019, May, 27, 11:55:00
OIL PRICE: ABOVE $68
Spot Brent crude futures were firmer at $68.82 per barrel, 13 cents, or 0.2%, above their last close. WTI crude futures were at $58.43 per barrel at 0700 GMT, down 20 cents, or 0.3%, from their last settlement.
2019, May, 27, 11:40:00
OILFIELD SERVICES RATING DOWN
"Oilfield services companies will no longer be able to generate the high operating margins they did in 2014," Carin Dehne-Kiley, an analyst at S&P, wrote Friday in a report to investors. "The oilfield services industry has fundamentally changed due to permanent efficiency and productivity gains realized by E&P companies as well as investor sentiment calling for E&P companies to live within cash flow and limit production growth."
2019, May, 24, 10:25:00
OIL PRICE: NEAR $67
Brent crude futures were at $68.48 per barrel at 0654 GMT, up 72 cents, or 1.1%, from their last close, with prices underpinned by OPEC supply cuts and Middle East tensions. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 66 cents, or 1.1%, at $58.57 per barrel.
2019, May, 24, 10:20:00
OPEC+ COMPLIANCE 168%
Although compliance to the cuts had a slow start, OPEC's JMMC noted in a press release following their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that compliance had hit a record high of 168% in April 2019. Average conformity reached 120% since January 2019.
2019, May, 23, 12:35:00
OIL PRICE: ABOVE $70 YET
Brent crude futures were at $70.36 per barrel, down 63 cents, or 0.9%, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down by 51 cents, or 0.8%, at $60.91 per barrel.
2019, May, 23, 12:25:00
СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВО ОПЕК+ РОССИЯ
“Российские компании согласны с тем, что необходимо продолжать сотрудничество. Взаимодействие направлено как на восстановление баланса на рынке, так и на поддержание справедливой, стабильной стоимости углеводородов, - отметил Александр Новак. - Россия готова оперативно реагировать на запросы рынка, мы можем увеличить производство из-за дефицита рынка. В качестве примера гибкости напомню, что мы вслед за ростом спроса прошлым летом увеличили производство и сократили его к концу года, когда на рынке был избыток».
