Oil slides as US climate withdrawal compounds glut concerns

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel

Reuters  |  London 

Oil slides as US climate withdrawal compounds glut concerns

Brent crude tumbled below $50 on Friday, heading for a second straight week of losses, on worries that US President Donald Trump's decision to abandon a climate pact could spark more crude drilling in the United States, worsening a global glut.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were off by nearly 3% at $49.14 per barrel at 1034 GMT, down $1.49 from the previous close.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel.

Both contracts were on track for weekly losses of more than 5%.

The withdrawal from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change drew condemnation from Washington's allies — and sparked fears that the US production could expand even more rapidly.

"I think we will see the United States that is about to go crazy in terms of producing fossil fuels," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker at Freight Services in Dubai, adding other producers could do the same. "Why wouldn't they ramp up production when producers like the have an open invite to do as they please?"

crude production last week was up by nearly 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from year-earlier levels, straining Opec's efforts to reduce global oversupply.

A week ago, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and a number of non-producers met in Vienna to extend a deal to cut 1.8 million bpd from the market until March 2018.

On Friday, Igor Sechin, chief of Russia's largest producer, Rosneft, said the US producers could add up to 1.5 million bpd to world output next year.

prices are down some 10% since Opec's May 25 decision to extend the cuts.

Rising output from members Nigeria and Libya, which are exempt from the output reduction deal, is also undercutting attempts to limit production.

last week discussed reducing output by a further 1 to 1.5%, and could revisit the proposal should inventories remain high, sources told Reuters.

On Friday, demand for bearish puts expiring in March 2018 spiked, indicating traders and investors are already protecting against a more aggressive drop in price once Opec's joint supply deal expires.

Still, received some support from official data which showed crude inventories fell sharply last week as refining and exports surged to record highs.

Crude stockpiles were down by 6.4 million barrels in the week to May 26, compared with analysts' expectations for a fall of 2.5 million barrels.

Oil slides as US climate withdrawal compounds glut concerns

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel
Brent crude tumbled below $50 on Friday, heading for a second straight week of losses, on worries that US President Donald Trump's decision to abandon a climate pact could spark more crude drilling in the United States, worsening a global glut.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were off by nearly 3% at $49.14 per barrel at 1034 GMT, down $1.49 from the previous close.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel.

Both contracts were on track for weekly losses of more than 5%.

The withdrawal from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change drew condemnation from Washington's allies — and sparked fears that the US production could expand even more rapidly.

"I think we will see the United States that is about to go crazy in terms of producing fossil fuels," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker at Freight Services in Dubai, adding other producers could do the same. "Why wouldn't they ramp up production when producers like the have an open invite to do as they please?"

crude production last week was up by nearly 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from year-earlier levels, straining Opec's efforts to reduce global oversupply.

A week ago, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and a number of non-producers met in Vienna to extend a deal to cut 1.8 million bpd from the market until March 2018.

On Friday, Igor Sechin, chief of Russia's largest producer, Rosneft, said the US producers could add up to 1.5 million bpd to world output next year.

prices are down some 10% since Opec's May 25 decision to extend the cuts.

Rising output from members Nigeria and Libya, which are exempt from the output reduction deal, is also undercutting attempts to limit production.

last week discussed reducing output by a further 1 to 1.5%, and could revisit the proposal should inventories remain high, sources told Reuters.

On Friday, demand for bearish puts expiring in March 2018 spiked, indicating traders and investors are already protecting against a more aggressive drop in price once Opec's joint supply deal expires.

Still, received some support from official data which showed crude inventories fell sharply last week as refining and exports surged to record highs.

Crude stockpiles were down by 6.4 million barrels in the week to May 26, compared with analysts' expectations for a fall of 2.5 million barrels.
image
Business Standard
177 22