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☆ Oil heads for weekly loss as geopolitical risk premium wanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both benchmarks gained more than $2 a barrel on Thursday, but were on track to lose about 4% on the week. The report could bolster the view that the U.S. Federal Reserve need not raise interest rates further. The Fed held interest rates steady on Wednesday, while the Bank of England held rates at a 15-year peak. The stable policies kept oil prices supported as some risk appetite returned to markets. "The oil market will be watching for an escalation of tensions, particularly on the Lebanese border, as Hezbollah attacks increase," City Index Fiona Cincotta said.

Persons: Jussi Rosendahl, Brent, Fiona Cincotta, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Jeslyn Lerh, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, National Bureau, Statistics, U.S . Labor Department, U.S . Federal, Fed, Bank of, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Porvoo, Finland, China, Bank of England, Gaza, Lebanese, Saudi Arabia, Singapore

A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. Oil's rally comes along with gains across financial assets after the Fed maintained its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.25%-5.50% at its latest meeting on Wednesday. Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), produced around 2.5 million barrels per day of crude in 2022, according to U.S. energy data. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that the country's crude stocks increased as refiners undergoing seasonal maintenance restarted units more slowly than expected. But despite lower refining runs, U.S. gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose by 0.1 million barrels in the week to 223.5 million barrels, the EIA said.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Jon Maier, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Stephanie Kelly, Muyu Xu, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Oil, U.S . Federal Reserve, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Fed, Global, Iran's, Organization of, Petroleum, Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Europe, U.S

An aerial view shows an oil factory of Idemitsu Kosan Co. in Ichihara, east of Tokyo, Japan November 12, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Brent January crude futures rose 0.3%, or 28 cents, to $85.30 a barrel by 0330 GMT, after falling more than 1% on Tuesday. Brent December futures settled 4 cents lower at $87.41 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand, while rate cuts to spur spending could increase oil consumption. The Fed, which will end its meeting on Wednesday, is expected to hold rates steady, according to a poll by CME's Fedwatch tool.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, CME's, Goldman Sachs, Antony Blinken, Mohi Narayan, Emily Chow, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kyodo, U.S . Federal Reserve, . West Texas, Treasury, Federal, Market, American Petroleum Institute, Central Bank, Bank of England, Israel, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, DELHI, Israel, ., U.S, Europe, China, East, Gaza, New Delhi, Singapore

December Brent crude futures , set to expire on Tuesday, rose 36 cents, or 0.41%, to stand at $87.81 a barrel by 0305 GMT. "If this evolves into a full-scale invasion and there is involvement from Iran, tighter supply worries could resurface." In a note, ING analysts said, "Disruptions to Iranian oil flows remain the most obvious risk to the market." Such lost supply could range between 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 1 million bpd if the United States strictly enforces sanctions once again, they added, although Middle East developments had yet to affect oil supply. Weaker-than-expected manufacturing and non-manufacturing activity data from China stoked fears of slowing fuel demand from the world's No.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Brent, Leon Li, China stoked, CME's, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Federal Reserve, Markets, ING, U.S, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, China, Wednesday's U.S, Gaza, Iran, Shanghai, Israel, United States, Venezuela, riven

The most recent week saw sales of Brent (11 million barrels), NYMEX and ICE WTI (4 million) and U.S. diesel (4 million) only partially offset by purchases of U.S. gasoline (3 million) and European gas oil (1 million). Short positions in NYMEX WTI climbed to 41 million barrels on Oct. 24 up from a 16-month low of 19 million barrels on Oct. 3. U.S. NATURAL GASFund managers were still struggling to become outright bullish about the outlook for U.S. gas despite futures prices being very low in real terms. Hedge funds and other money managers sold the equivalent of 125 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas futures and options over the seven days ending Oct. 24. From a statistical perspective, the very low inflation-adjusted base means there must be more potential for prices to rise rather than fall.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Cushing, NYMEX WTI, John Kemp, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: ICE Futures, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ICE, U.S ., OPEC, Fund, Thomson, Reuters Locations: NYMEX, Brent

SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose by over $1 on Friday as reports that the U.S military struck Iranian targets in Syria raised concerns of a widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict that could impact supply from the key Middle East producing region. Though the strike did not directly impact supply, it increases fears that the conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel, backed by the U.S., and Hamas may spread and disrupt supply from major crude producer Iran, which backs Hamas. A wider war could also impact shipments from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and other large producers in the Gulf. Both Brent and WTI are on track to post their first weekly drop in three weeks as the geopolitical premium built on these fears has ebbed as there has been no disruption of oil supply outside of the immediate region of the fighting. Israeli forces carried out their biggest Gaza ground attack in their 20-day-old war with Hamas overnight, angering the Arab world.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Kelvin Yew, Benjamin Netanyahu, Helima Croft, Goldman Sachs, Florence Tan, Sam Holmes, Christian Organizations: U.S, Brent, U.S . West Texas Intermediate, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, Ocean, Investments, RBC Capital, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Syria, Israel, U.S, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United States, Hormuz, Russia

☆ Oil dips after U.S. stockpiles climb, Middle East tensions in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jeslyn Lerh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sticker reads crude oil on the side of a storage tank in the Permian Basin in Mentone, Loving County, Texas, U.S. November 22, 2019. Investors were also digesting a rise in U.S. crude inventories, indicative of weak demand. Macroeconomic concerns continued to weigh on the outlook for oil demand, as euro zone business activity data took a surprise downturn this month. The dollar index was also up slightly on Thursday, which helps pressure oil prices. A stronger dollar dampens oil demand as it makes the commodity more expensive for those holding other currencies.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Brent, Tina Teng, Jeslyn Lerh, Gerry Doyle, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Wall Street Journal, Hamas, CMC, Investors, Energy Information Administration, Citi, Thomson Locations: Mentone, Loving County , Texas, U.S, Israel, SINGAPORE, Gaza

Euro zone business activity data took a surprise downturn this month, suggesting the bloc may slip into recession, creating a drag on the outlook for oil demand. Overall, the region's oil refineries have been consuming less crude than a year ago amid lacklustre economic growth, Euroilstock data has shown. Falling crude oil stockpiles in the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer also supported prices. That went against eight analysts polled by Reuters who had estimated on average that crude inventories were up by about 200,000 barrels for the week. Gasoline inventories dropped by 4.2 million barrels, while distillate inventories fell by about 2.3 million barrels, the API data showed.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Israel, Vishnu Varathan, durably, Varathan, Stephanie Kelly, Muyu Xu, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Iran, Mizuho Bank, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Gaza, East, Israel, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia, China, U.S

☆ Chevron target Hess beats quarterly profit estimates on production boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New York-based Hess's net production was 395,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in the quarter, compared to 351,000 boepd a year earlier. The company forecast production to be around 410,000 boepd in the fourth quarter. Hess said its worldwide average realized crude oil selling price, excluding hedges, was $81.53 per barrel in the quarter, compared to $71.13 in the preceding quarter and $85.32 a year earlier. Production from Guyana totaled 108,000 boepd, 10% higher compared with the prior-year quarter. Production at the Stabroek oil block is expected to triple to more than 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hess, China's CNOOC, Seher, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Chevron Corp, Hess Corp, Wednesday, Wall, Chevron Corp, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, HK, Thomson Locations: New York, Guyana, North Dakota, U.S, Bengaluru

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday, recovering some of the previous day's losses, as investors remained nervous that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a wider conflict in the oil-exporting region, causing potential supply disruptions. But Israel continued its bombardment of Gaza on Monday after launching air strikes over southern Lebanon overnight. U.S. crude stockpiles were expected to have risen last week, while distillate and gasoline inventories fell, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. Reporting by Mohi Narayan in New Delhi and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Yuki Takashima, Israel, Vandana Hari, Takashima, Mohi Narayan, Yuka Obayashi, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Nomura Securities, Vanda Insights, American Petroleum Institute, Energy Information Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, DELHI, Israel, U.S, Gaza, Lebanon, Palestinian, OPEC, China, New Delhi, Tokyo

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Oil prices drop on Friday but gain over 1% for the weekHamas releases two US hostages in GazaEarlier, Israeli minister said troops to see Gaza 'from inside'Global oil market already faces supply concernsBENGALURU, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower on Friday after the Islamist group Hamas released two U.S. hostages from Gaza, leading to hopes the Israeli-Palestinian crisis could de-escalate without engulfing the rest of the Middle East region and disrupting oil supplies. Brent crude futures fell 22 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $92.16 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for November delivery , which expired after settlement on Friday, fell 62 cents, or 0.7%, to $88.75 a barrel. Hamas' armed wing released two U.S. hostages from Gaza - a mother and her daughter - "for humanitarian reasons" in response to Qatari mediation efforts in the war with Israel, its spokesman Abu Ubaida said on Friday. "The report took some of the risk premium out of the market," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Abu Ubaida, Phil Flynn, Yoav Gallant, John Kilduff, Kilduff, Giovanni Staunovo, Brent, Staunovo, Shariq Khan, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely, David Gregorio, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Brent, . West Texas, Price Futures, Israeli, Pentagon, UBS, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, BENGALURU, Hamas, Israel, Yemen, New York, Saudi Arabia, Russia

A person puts gas in a vehicle at a gas station in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 11, 2022. Brent crude futures rose $1.00, or 1.1%, to $93.26 a barrel by 11:24 a.m. EDT (1524 GMT). Both front-month contracts were headed for a second weekly gain on heightened fears of the Middle East conflict spreading. "The Middle East remains a big focus of the market because of fears of a region-wide conflict that would likely involve a disruption of oil supplies," said John Kilduff, a partner at New York-based Again Capital. "Venezuelan oil production will not be a significant factor in shaping the global oil balance in the foreseeable future," Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM wrote in a note.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brent, John Kilduff, Kilduff, Yoav Gallant, Washington's, Phil Flynn, Tamas Varga, PVM, Shariq Khan, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Israeli, Pentagon, . Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Price Futures, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, Venezuela, BENGALURU, Israel, New York, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC

All three benchmarks had gained more than $1 in earlier trading, and both front-month contracts are set to record a second weekly gain as an explosion at a Gaza hospital this week and an anticipated ground invasion by Israeli troops heightened fears of the conflict spreading in the Middle East. "Signs that an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is imminent have been pushing oil prices up significantly since yesterday. So far, however, the supply situation on the market has not changed," Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note on Friday. Oil prices are "likely to remain well supported, especially as the oil market is significantly undersupplied at present", they said. "Venezuelan oil production will not be a significant factor in shaping the global oil balance in the foreseeable future," Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM wrote in a note.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brent, Yoav Gallant, Tamas Varga, PVM, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, Israeli, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, Venezuela, Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, OPEC, London

Both front-month contracts are set to record a second weekly gain as an explosion at a Gaza hospital this week and an anticipated ground invasion by Israeli troops heightened fears of the conflict spreading in the Middle East. "Signs that an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is imminent have been pushing oil prices up significantly since yesterday. So far, however, the supply situation on the market has not changed," Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note on Friday. Oil prices are "likely to remain well supported, especially as the oil market is significantly undersupplied at present", they said. "Venezuelan oil production will not be a significant factor in shaping the global oil balance in the foreseeable future," Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM wrote in a note.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brent, Yoav Gallant, Tamas Varga, PVM, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Minister, Brent, . West Texas, Israeli, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, Venezuela, Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, OPEC, London

A person puts gas in a vehicle at a gas station in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices extended gains on Friday and were on track for a second week of increases on heightened fears that the Israel-Gaza conflict may spread in the Middle East and disrupt supplies from one of the world's top-producing regions. Both contracts are on track to post a second weekly gain as an explosion at a Gaza hospital this week and the anticipated ground invasion by Israeli troops heightened fears of the conflict spreading in the Middle East. "The prospect of more Venezuela oil did little to ease concerns of disruptions in the Middle East," analysts at ANZ Research said in a note to clients on Friday. Reporting by Florence Tan and Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Tony Sycamore, Yoav Gallant, Sycamore, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, . West Texas, Israel Defence Forces, Israeli, U.S, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Rights SINGAPORE, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, Venezuela, OPEC

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. In earlier trade, both benchmarks gained more than $2 to touch their highest levels in two weeks. Jordan then cancelled a summit it was to host with U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. "A long occupation looms as the scenario that pushes Brent oil futures above $US100/bbl because it raises the risk that the Israel Hamas conflict expands and potentially draws in Iran directly," Dhar said. Also supporting oil prices, U.S. crude stocks fell by about 4.4 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 13, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Jordan, Joe Biden, Biden, Vivek Dhar, Dhar, Harry Murphy Cruise, Arathy Somesekhar, Muyu Xu, Sonali Paul, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, West Texas, U.S, Israel Hamas, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Israel, Hamas, American Petroleum Institute, Golden, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Iran, China

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Jordan then cancelled a summit it was to host with U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. "A long occupation looms as the scenario that pushes Brent oil futures above $US100/bbl because it raises the risk that the Israel Hamas conflict expands and potentially draws in Iran directly," Dhar said. Also supporting oil prices, U.S. crude stocks fell by about 4.4 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 13, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes to curb inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Jordan, Joe Biden, Biden, Vivek Dhar, Dhar, Harry Murphy Cruise, Arathy Somesekhar, Muyu Xu, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, West Texas, U.S, Israel Hamas, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Israel, Hamas, American Petroleum Institute, Golden, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Iran, China

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Jordan then cancelled a summit it was to host with U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. Also supporting oil prices, U.S. crude stocks fell by about 4.4 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 13, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes to curb inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on oil exports from Venezuela since 2019 and while sanctions relief is expected to boost oil supply oil flow, analysts expect any increases from the country to take time due to a lack of investment.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Jordan, Joe Biden, Biden, Vivek Dhar, Dhar, Arathy Somesekhar, Muyu Xu, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, West Texas, U.S, Israel Hamas, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Israel, Palestinian, Jihad, Hamas, American Petroleum Institute, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Iran, U.S, Venezuela

SINGAPORE, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Tuesday after a more than $1 slide on Monday amid hopes the U.S. would ease sanctions on producer Venezuela and as Washington stepped up efforts to prevent an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas. Both oil benchmarks surged last week on fears the conflict in the Middle East could widen, with global benchmark Brent gaining 7.5% in its highest weekly gain since February. The Biden administration has been seeking ways to increase the flow of oil to world markets to alleviate high prices. But any real oil output increase by Venezuela will take time due to lack of recent investments. Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Sonali Paul, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brent, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Washington, Joe Biden, Biden, Sudarshan Varadhan, Sonali Paul, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: Venezuela, U.S, West Texas, U.S ., Organization of Petroleum Exporting, Brent, Hamas, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Washington, Israel, Venezuela, Gaza, Iran

SINGAPORE, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell slightly on Tuesday after a more than $1 slide on Monday amid hopes the U.S. would ease sanctions on producer Venezuela and as Washington stepped up efforts to prevent an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas. Venezuela's government and opposition are set to resume long-suspended talks on Tuesday that President Nicolas Maduro said would benefit the upcoming 2024 election, a move that could lead to Washington easing sanctions, multiple sources said. The Biden administration has been seeking ways to increase the flow of oil to world markets to alleviate high prices. But any real oil output increase by Venezuela will take time due to lack of recent investments. Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Sonali Paul and Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brent, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Washington, Joe Biden, Biden, Sudarshan Varadhan, Sonali Paul, Muralikumar Organizations: Venezuela, U.S, West Texas, U.S ., Organization of Petroleum Exporting, Brent, Hamas, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Washington, Israel, Venezuela, Gaza, Iran

☆ Oil steadies on hopes of Venezuela sanctions being eased
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices stabilised on Tuesday after a more than $1 slide on Monday amid hopes the U.S. would ease sanctions on producer Venezuela and as Washington stepped up efforts to prevent an escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas. Brent crude futures were up 3 cents at $89.68 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) were down 11 cents at $86.55 a barrel as of 0113 GMT. Both oil benchmarks surged last week on fears the conflict in the Middle East could widen, with global benchmark Brent gaining 7.5% in its highest weekly gain since February. The Biden administration has been seeking ways to increase the flow of oil to world markets to alleviate high prices. But any real oil output increase by Venezuela will take time due to lack of recent investments.

Persons: Brent, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Washington, Biden, Sudarshan Varadhan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Venezuela, U.S, West Texas, U.S ., Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Washington, Israel, Venezuela

☆ Oil prices edge higher ahead of Biden Middle East trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Nicole Jao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummaryCompanies Biden travels to Middle East on WednesdayBiden trip will balance Israel support with containing warUS-Venezuela talks could see oil sanctions easeUPCOMING - U.S. oil inventory data from API and EIANEW YORK, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday ahead of a trip by U.S. President Joe Biden to the Middle East that is likely to involve balancing support for Israel with trying to prevent any regional escalation of its war with Hamas. Fears the Middle East conflict could widen drove big gains in both oil benchmarks last week. The U.S. government has been seeking ways to increase the flow of oil to world markets to alleviate high prices. But any real oil output increase by Venezuela will take time because of a lack of investment. Looking ahead, the oil market is waiting for U.S. oil inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group, on Tuesday and the government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday.

Persons: Companies Biden, Joe Biden, Brent, Biden's, Edward Moya, Nicolas Maduro's, Washington, Phil Flynn, Nicole Jao, Paul Carsten, Sudarshan, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond, Jan Harvey, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Companies, Middle East, Wednesday Biden, U.S, Israel, Hamas, . West Texas, Brent, Wednesday, OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting, Price Futures, Saudi Aramco, American Petroleum Institute, government's Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Middle, Israel, Venezuela, Iran, Lebanon, Washington, U.S, Saudi, OPEC, Russia, New York, London, Singapore

☆ Oil falls below $90 a barrel on report of US-Venezuela deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by 0.29 cents, or 0.37%, to $87.30 a barrel. Easing sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry could result in increased oil supply. "It's more of the same on Monday in terms of the conflict in the Middle East being contained from affecting crude oil supplies," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital LLC. Both oil benchmarks had climbed nearly 6% on Friday, taking Brent 7.5% higher on the week and WTI up 5.9%. Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020.

Persons: Israel, Brent, John Kilduff, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Putin, John Evans, Robert Harvey, Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow, Susan Fenton, David Evans, Deepa Babington, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Monday HOUSTON, . West Texas, Traders, Brent, REUTERS, U.S, Israeli, United, US, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Gaza, Israel, U.S, Barbados, Palestinian, Cushing , Oklahoma, Rafah, Egypt, Israel's, Russia, Iran, Syria, United States, Moscow, Russian, Saudi, London, Tokyo

Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. As a result, the combined position was reduced to 483 million barrels (30th percentile for all weeks since 2013) down from 680 million barrels (64th percentile) on Sept. 19. Chartbook: Oil and gas positionsThe most recent week saw massive sales across the board, including Brent (-65 million barrels) and NYMEX and ICE WTI (-40 million), U.S. gasoline (-15 million), European gas oil (-13 million) and U.S. diesel (-7 million). Most of the adjustment came from liquidation of former bullish long positions (-122 million barrels) rather than initiation of new bearish short ones (+18 million). Net positions in Brent (20th percentile), U.S. gasoline (25th percentile) and European gas oil (28th percentile) were all well below their long-term averages.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Brent, Cushing, John Kemp Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, OPEC, Investors, ICE Futures, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Funds, ICE, U.S . diesel, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Midland , Texas, U.S, NYMEX, Brent , U.S, Brent

Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Drone Base/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Oil prices eased in early Asia trade on Monday, reversing last Friday's rally as investors waited to see if the Israel-Hamas conflict draws in other countries, which could drive up prices further and deal a fresh blow to the global economy. Both benchmarks rose nearly 6% on Friday, posting their highest daily percentage gains since April, as investors priced in the possibility of a wider Middle East conflict. The conflict in the Middle East has had little impact on global oil and gas supplies, and Israel is not a big producer. But investors and market observers are assessing how the conflict could escalate and what it might mean for supplies from nearby countries in the world's top oil producing region.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, Yuka Obayashi, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . West Texas, Israel's, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Asia, Israel, Brent, Gaza, East

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