Oil price falls below $100 a barrel for second session
China’s daily crude oil imports in June sank to their lowest since July 2018
14 July 2022 - 13:09
byJulia Payne
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Brent crude futures for September were down 18c to $99.39 a barrel at 7.27am GMT after settling below $100 for the second straight session on Wednesday.
US West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery was at $95.84 a barrel, down 43c.
Oil prices have tumbled in the past two weeks on recession concerns despite a drop in crude and refined products exports from Russia amid Western sanctions and supply disruption in Libya.
“Clearly, focus is now on the demand side of the oil equation. Yesterday's weekly EIA (US Energy Information Administration) report showed sizeable builds in product inventories,” Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said.
“Collateral damage of growing fears of inflation is the strong dollar, which is also bearish for oil prices. Interestingly, physical markets are still strong but the change in sentiment of financial investors is currently the dominant driving force.”
The US Federal Reserve is seen ramping up its battle with 40-year high inflation with a supersized 100-basis-points rate hike later in July after a grim inflation report showed price pressures accelerating.
The Fed rate hike is expected to follow a similar surprise move by the Bank of Canada on Wednesday.
Investors also flocked to the dollar, often seen as a safe haven asset. The dollar index hit a 20-year high on Wednesday, which makes oil purchases more expensive for non-US buyers.
Worries of Covid-19 curbs in multiple Chinese cities to rein in new cases of a highly infectious subvariant have also kept a lid on oil prices.
China’s daily crude oil imports in June sank to their lowest since July 2018, as refiners anticipated lockdown measures to curb demand, customs data showed on Wednesday.
Data from the US Energy Information Administration also point to slackening demand, with product supplied slumping to 18.7-million barrels per day, the lowest since June 2021. Crude inventories rose, bolstered by another big release from strategic reserves.
US President Joe Biden will fly to Saudi Arabia on Friday, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies and call for them to pump more oil.
However, spare capacity at Opec is running low, with most of the producers pumping at maximum capacity, and it is unclear how much extra Saudi Arabia can bring into the market quickly.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Oil price falls below $100 a barrel for second session
China’s daily crude oil imports in June sank to their lowest since July 2018
Brent crude futures for September were down 18c to $99.39 a barrel at 7.27am GMT after settling below $100 for the second straight session on Wednesday.
US West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery was at $95.84 a barrel, down 43c.
Oil prices have tumbled in the past two weeks on recession concerns despite a drop in crude and refined products exports from Russia amid Western sanctions and supply disruption in Libya.
“Clearly, focus is now on the demand side of the oil equation. Yesterday's weekly EIA (US Energy Information Administration) report showed sizeable builds in product inventories,” Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said.
“Collateral damage of growing fears of inflation is the strong dollar, which is also bearish for oil prices. Interestingly, physical markets are still strong but the change in sentiment of financial investors is currently the dominant driving force.”
The US Federal Reserve is seen ramping up its battle with 40-year high inflation with a supersized 100-basis-points rate hike later in July after a grim inflation report showed price pressures accelerating.
The Fed rate hike is expected to follow a similar surprise move by the Bank of Canada on Wednesday.
Investors also flocked to the dollar, often seen as a safe haven asset. The dollar index hit a 20-year high on Wednesday, which makes oil purchases more expensive for non-US buyers.
Worries of Covid-19 curbs in multiple Chinese cities to rein in new cases of a highly infectious subvariant have also kept a lid on oil prices.
China’s daily crude oil imports in June sank to their lowest since July 2018, as refiners anticipated lockdown measures to curb demand, customs data showed on Wednesday.
Data from the US Energy Information Administration also point to slackening demand, with product supplied slumping to 18.7-million barrels per day, the lowest since June 2021. Crude inventories rose, bolstered by another big release from strategic reserves.
US President Joe Biden will fly to Saudi Arabia on Friday, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies and call for them to pump more oil.
However, spare capacity at Opec is running low, with most of the producers pumping at maximum capacity, and it is unclear how much extra Saudi Arabia can bring into the market quickly.
Reuters
Oil edges higher while US inflation accelerates
Stronger dollar pushes oil price down
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