Asian Countries Looking to Release Oil Reserves after U.S. Request
The world's biggest economies said on Thursday they were looking into releasing oil from their strategic reserves, following a rare request from the United States for a coordinated move to cool global energy prices.The U.S. move reflects frustration with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies such as Russia who have rebuffed Washington's requests to speed up oil production as the world economy rebounds from the pandemic.It also comes as U.S. President…
Coronavirus, Consolidation Taking Toll On Energy Jobs
Oil and gas companies worldwide are taking an axe to their employment rolls, shedding workers to survive what is expected to be a prolonged stretch of weak demand.Exxon Mobil Corp said it will cut its workforce by 15%, or about 14,000 people, along with oil majors Chevron Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.All told, more than 400,000 oil and gas sector jobs have been cut this year, according to Rystad Energy, with about half of those in the United States, where several big exploration…
OPEC+ Meets to Decide on Oil Output Cuts Easing
OPEC and allies such as Russia meet on Wednesday to decide oil output policy from August amid broad market expectations the group will ease supply curbs as the global economy slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, have been cutting output since May by 9.7 million barrels per day, or 10% of global supply, after the virus destroyed a third of global demand.After July, the cuts are due to taper to 7.7 million bpd until December.
Oil Prices Gain 2%
Oil futures gained nearly 2% on Friday as comments from a top U.S. official raised optimism for a U.S.-China trade deal, but worries about increasing crude supplies capped prices.Benchmark Brent crude gained $1.13, or 1.8%, to $63.41 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude rose 93 cents, or 1.6%, to $57.70 a barrel.Brent and WTI were both on track to post their second straight weekly gain. Brent was due to rise 1.4%, and WTI was set to gain 0.8%.U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur…
Oil Rises on U.S. Crude Stocks Fall
Oil rose on Thursday after industry data showed a surprise drop in U.S. crude inventories, while comments from OPEC about lower-than-expected U.S. shale production in 2020 also provided some support.Prices were capped by mixed signs for oil demand in China, the world's biggest crude importer. Industrial output rose more slowly than expected in October, but oil refinery throughput hit the second-highest level on record.Brent futures were up 65 cents, or 1.04%, at $63.02 per barrel at 1442 GMT…
Oil Rises Above $62
Oil rose above $62 a barrel on Thursday after China hinted at progress towards a trade deal with the United States, raising hopes for an end to a long dispute that has weighed on economic growth and demand for fuel.China and the United States have agreed in the past two weeks to cancel tariffs in different phases, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday without giving a timeline.The trade dispute has prompted analysts to lower forecasts for oil demand and raised concerns that a supply glut could develop in 2020.
Oil surges as China Pushes Tariff Rollbacks
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Tuesday on hopes for a U.S.-China trade agreement and optimism that Washington could roll back some tariffs on Chinese imports.Brent crude futures rose 74 cents, or 1.2%, to $62.87 a barrel by 12:56 p.m. EST (1756 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 68 cents, or 1.2%, to $57.22 a barrel.China is pushing U.S. President Donald Trump to remove more tariffs imposed in September as part of a so-called Phase 1 deal, which would ease…
Oil Prices Sink to Lowest in a Year as Stock Markets Fall
Oil prices fell about 3 percent on Thursday, hitting their lowest in more than a year on worries about oversupply and the outlook for energy demand as a U.S. interest rate rise knocked stock markets.Brent crude futures fell $1.53 to $55.71 a barrel, a 2.7 percent loss, by 10:55 a.m. EST (1555 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.55 to $46.62 a barrel, a 3.2 percent loss.Brent earlier hit a session low of $54.64 a barrel, the weakest since mid-September 2017…
OPEC to Release Country Quotas for Oil Output Cut
Oil producer group OPEC plans to release a table detailing output cut quotas for its members and allies such as Russia in an effort to shore up the price of crude, OPEC's secretary-general said in a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.Mohammad Barkindo said to reach the proposed cut of 1.2 million barrels per day, the effective reduction for member countries was 3.02 percent.That is higher than the initially discussed 2.5 percent as OPEC seeks to accommodate Iran, Libya and Venezuela, which are exempt from any requirement to cut.
Oil Extends Rally as Trump Reiterates Commitment to Iran Sanctions
Crude oil prices shot to a four-year high on Tuesday, catapulted by imminent U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude exports and the apparent reluctance of OPEC and Russia to raise output to offset the potential hit to global supply.Brent crude futures were up 87 cents, or more than 1 percent, at $82.07 a barrel by 10:43 a.m. EDT (1443 GMT) having touched a session peak of $82.22, the highest price since November 2014.The oil price is on course for its fifth consecutive quarterly increase, the longest stretch of gains since early 2007, when a six-quarter run led to a record high of $147.50 a barrel.U.S.
Global Energy Demand Seen growing 33% to 2040 -OPEC
Global energy demand is expected to grow by 33 percent to 2040, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Mohammad Barkindo, said during an event in Madrid on Tuesday.Barkindo was speaking at an event organised by the Spanish oil and gas company Cepsa.Oil would continue to have a predominant role in the energy mix for the foreseeable future, Barkindo said during a question and answer session. (Reporting by Robert Hetz; Writing by Paul Day, editing by Louise Heavens)
[Op/Ed] Congo and OPEC: A Marriage of Mutual Need
The Republic of the Congo has suffered dearly during the oil collapse; and Congolese President Denis Nguesso has pledged that the country would no longer be sitting on the side lines — suffering the effects of global decision-making in the oil industry without a voice. In an official communiqué announcing the bid for OPEC membership, he stated that he wished to “place our country in the rank of the world’s leaders.”In January, officials from the Republic of Congo announced the country’s application for membership of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This is no small move.
Hess Warns Focus on Returns Now Will Hurt US Shale Long-term
Investor pressure on oil producers to focus more attention on shareholder returns and less on output will drive down vital industry investment in the long term, a leading U.S. shale executive said on Thursday.Shareholders have been pushing for more dividends and buybacks from U.S. shale companies, whose heavy investment in production has helped the United States overtake Saudi Arabia to become the world's second biggest oil producer after Russia."Investor sentiment in the last year has really, markedly changed.
Saudi Arabia to Restrain March Oil Exports
Saudi says to keep exports below 7 million bpd in March; OPEC's Barkindo says 2018 oil demand growth to be healthy. Saudi Arabia will restrain its oil exports in March despite lower domestic need for crude as OPEC's leader is pushing to eliminate fully the global oil glut and combat worries about a new cycle of oil price weakness. The kingdom will keep its crude exports below 7 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, despite a maintenance shutdown of the 400,000 bpd SAMREF refinery, the Saudi energy ministry said, confirming a plan given earlier by industry sources.
OPEC Pact Likely to Evolve Rather Than Terminate
"The lexicon of exit is not found in our vocabulary", OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Cairo on Monday. Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have been anxious to counter speculation about an early end to production curbs. Barkindo was reinforcing the message that the current curbs will be maintained until at least the end of this year and could be continued into 2019 ("Barkindo stresses ongoing cooperation, not exit", Argus, Feb. 12).
Oil Falls as U.S. Shale Growth Gathers Pace
IEA sees U.S. gaining market share from OPEC, predicts robust oil demand in next 5 years. Oil prices edged lower towards $64 per barrel on Monday on predictions of a major spike in U.S. oil output in the next five years. International benchmark Brent crude was down 8 cents, having shelved morning gains of around 0.6 percent, at $64.29 a barrel by 1237 GMT. The contract was well below this year's highs of over $71 per barrel that it hit in January. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was flat at $61.24 per barrel, having lost earlier gains of 0.7 percent.
OPEC Hopes for Oil Market Stability in 2018
OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said on Monday he hoped a global deal to reduce oil production would help restore stability to global oil markets in the course of the year, he told Azeri TV station Real TV in an interview. "We are beginning to see that the stability is gradual but still returning to the market," Barkindo said during a visit to the Azeri capital of Baku, adding that oil producing countries participating in the deal members are currently focused on extending the deal to December 2018.
OPEC Seeks "very long-term" Cooperation with Other Exporters
A long-term deal with Russia seen as unprecedented. OPEC is seeking "very long-term" cooperation with other crude exporters, the secretary general of the oil exporting group said on Wednesday. Mohammad Barkindo was commenting on news that top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia were working on a long-term pact that could extend controls over world crude supplies by major exporters for up to 20 years. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the plan in an interview with Reuters on Monday.
Oil on Track for Biggest Weekly Gain Since July
OPEC and IEA see oil markets tightening; China March crude oil imports second-highest on record. Oil prices slipped slightly on Friday but were still heading for their largest weekly gain since July after U.S. President Trump's comments about possible military action in Syria and reports of dwindling global oil stocks. Erasing earlier gains, Brent crude was down 17 cents to $71.85 a barrel by 1139 GMT, barely denting weekly gains of about 7 percent, or around $4.50. U.S. crude for May delivery fell 17 cents to $66.90…
IEA: "mission accomplished" for OPEC as Oil Stocks Shrink
IEA says stocks could reach five-year average by May; OPEC still planning to extend supply cuts into 2019. OPEC and its allies appear to have accomplished their mission of bringing global oil stocks to desired levels, the International Energy Agency said on Friday, signalling that the markets could become too tight if supply remains restrained. The IEA, which coordinates the energy policies of industrialised nations, said global stocks in developed countries could fall to their five-year average - a metric used by OPEC to measure the success of output cuts - as early as May.
