🎁 💸 Warren Buffett's Top Picks Are Up +49.1%. Copy Them to Your Watchlist – For FreeCopy Portfolio

UPDATE 2-Oil falls on high OPEC supplies, defying falling U.S. crude stocks

Published 03/08/2017, 05:12 pm
Updated 03/08/2017, 05:20 pm
UPDATE 2-Oil falls on high OPEC supplies, defying falling U.S. crude stocks
CVX
-
GS
-
BP
-
SHEL
-
LCO
-
CL
-

* Rally in oil prices runs out of steam

* High supply from OPEC producers drags

* But signs of gradually tightening U.S market offer support (Updates prices)

By Henning Gloystein

SINGAPORE, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Oil fell on Thursday as a rally that has pushed up prices by almost 10 percent since early last week lost momentum despite renewed signs of a gradually tightening U.S. market.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 , the international benchmark for oil prices, were trading down 33 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $52.03 per barrel at 0711 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $49.28 per barrel, down 31 cents, or 0.6 percent.

Strong demand in the United States was supporting prices, while high supplies from OPEC producers were restricting further gains, traders said, pointing to a range-bound market.

"Both contracts appear to be moving into a range consolidation mode," said Jeffrey Halley of futures brokerage OANDA.

U.S. crude prices held below $50 per barrel despite record gasoline demand of 9.84 million barrels per day (bpd) last week and a fall in commercial crude inventories in the week to July 28 of 1.5 million barrels to 481.9 million barrels C-STK-T-EIA , according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). below levels seen this time last year, an indication of a tightening U.S. market.

Traders said ongoing high supplies by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) were capping prices.

The high OPEC supplies come despite a pledge by the group, supported by other producers including Russia, to restrict output by 1.8 million bpd between January this year and March 2018 to tighten the market.

Trading data in Thomson Reuters Eikon shows that crude oil shipments by OPEC and Russia, which excludes pipeline supplies, hit a 2017-high of around 32 million bpd in July, up from around 30.5 million bpd in January.

BMI Research said that the industry had adapted to the low oil prices.

"Of the major projects sanctioned by the big five oil companies (ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSa), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), BP (LON:BP) and Total) over H1 2017, there has been a clear breakeven target price of $40 per barrel or lower at offshore oil projects," BMI said.

This followed U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) saying earlier this week that the oil industry had successfully adapted to oil prices around $50 per barrel. OPEC & Russian shipped oil supplies

http://reut.rs/2hoGRd5

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.