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U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.16 to $71.78. Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said it was "realistic" to reach oil prices of around $80 per barrel, Russian state news agencies reported. Capping oil price gains was the prospect of rising interest rates, which could slow economic growth. The Bank of England is set to raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point next week. Investors have been closely watching interest rates and commentary from Fed members.

Persons: Brent, Nikolai Shulginov, Shulginov, Baker Hughes, Phil Flynn, Stephanie Kelly, Alex Lawler, Sudarshan, David Goodman, Louise Heavens, David Evans, David Gregorio, Nick Macfie Organizations: bbl Bank of England, . West Texas, Oil, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, Russian Energy, Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal, Price Futures, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Russia, U.S, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russian, Iran

☆ Oil heads for weekly gain as supply cuts balance demand concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Bank of England is set to raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point next week. Rising interest rates could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. However, both oil benchmarks were heading for a small weekly gain after declines in the past two weeks. Oil gained about 3% on Thursday on hopes of increasing Chinese demand. China's refinery throughput rose in May to its second-highest total on record and Kuwait Petroleum Corp's CEO expects Chinese demand to keep climbing during the second half.

Persons: Ole Hansen, Alex Lawler, Sudarshan Varadhan, Stephanie Kelly, David Goodman Organizations: Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal, Saxo Bank, Brent, West Texas, Oil, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Bank, OPEC, Brent, Saudi Arabia

☆ OPEC oil demand forecast holds steady as economic clouds gather
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This was virtually unchanged from the 2.33 million bpd forecast last month. OPEC+, which comprises OPEC, Russia and other allies, has been taking more steps to support the oil market in 2023. Crude prices, however, have remained under pressure from concern over slowing economic growth and demand. Chinese oil demand is now expected to rise by 840,000 bpd, OPEC said, up from the 800,000 bpd forecast last month, adding to a recovery after strict COVID-19 containment measures were scrapped. OPEC left its 2023 global economic growth forecast at 2.6% and said momentum was slowing.

Persons: Alex Lawler, Jason Neely, David Goodman Organizations: OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, Thomson Locations: Eastern Europe, Ukraine, OPEC, Russia, China, United States, Saudi Arabia

He announced the output cut after the meeting, calling it a "Saudi lollipop". Saudi Arabia said it would cut output in July by 10% or 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 9 million bpd and may extend cuts further if needed. As well as the Saudi cut, OPEC+ lowered its collective production target for 2024 and the nine participating countries extended the April voluntary cuts to the end of 2024. Nonetheless, all those producers stand to benefit if they can keep output the same or pump a bit more, especially if the Saudi cut boosts prices. "Saudi cuts are playing second fiddle to worries about the state of the global economy," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM, although he added the Saudi cut could widen a supply deficit in July.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Prince Abdulaziz, Abu, Al Arabiya, Brent, Stephen Brennock, Rowena Edwards, Maha El, Simon Webb, David Evans Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Energy, Organization of, Petroleum, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Energy Ministry, OPEC's, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Vienna, OPEC, Russia, Abu Dhabi, OPEC's Vienna, UAE, Nigeria, Angola, Friday's

☆ Analysis: Saudi Arabia's 'icing on the cake' oil cut could feed US producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Dmitry Zhdannikov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With the new Saudi reduction, the group has agreed to take some 4.6 million bpd off the market in July, equivalent to 4.6% of global demand of 100 million bpd. OPEC+ also agreed on Sunday to extend the group's existing supply cuts of 3.66 million bpd into 2024. In response, oil prices rose nearly $2 a barrel early on Monday to $78 per barrel . "This market needs stabilisation," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Sunday, calling his surprise decision to deepen Saudi production cuts "the icing on the cake" for the deal. So far this year, a weakening global economy, concern about the U.S. banking crisis, and a slow Chinese recovery from COVID-19 restrictions have capped oil prices.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Prince Abdulaziz, Natasha Kaneva, Morgan, Tamas Varga, Jorge Leon, Sunday's, JPM, Kaneva, Alex Lawler, Ahmad Ghaddar, el, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Simon Webb, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Saudi Energy, OPEC, White, International Energy Agency, Rystad Energy, United, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Riyadh, United States, States, COVID, Angola, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates

Saudi's energy ministry said the country's output would drop to 9 million barrels per day (bpd) in July from around 10 million bpd in May, the biggest reduction in years. "This is a Saudi lollipop," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz told a news conference. EXTENSION TO END OF 2024OPEC+ has in place cuts of 3.66 million bpd, amounting to 3.6% of global demand, including 2 million bpd agreed last year and voluntary cuts of 1.66 million bpd agreed in April. In addition to extending the existing OPEC+ cuts of 3.66 million bpd, the group also agreed on Sunday to reduce overall production targets from January 2024 by a further 1.4 million bpd versus current targets to a combined of 40.46 million bpd. By contrast, the United Arab Emirates was allowed to raise output targets by around 0.2 million bpd to 3.22 million bpd.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz, Brent, Amrita Sen, Gary Ross, Giovanni Staunovo, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, David Holmes, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Saudi, UAE, Saudi Energy, Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, OPEC, Analysts, Energy, Veteran OPEC, Black Gold, UBS, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Russian, Angolan, VIENNA, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Saudi, Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Angola, United Arab Emirates

Four sources familiar with OPEC+ discussions have told Reuters that additional production cuts were being discussed among options for Sunday's session. Three out of four sources said cuts could amount to 1 million bpd on top of existing cuts of 2 million bpd and voluntary cuts of 1.6 million bpd, announced in a surprise move in April and which took effect in May. If approved, the new cut would take the total volume of reductions to 4.66 million bpd, or around 4.5% of global demand. Typically, production cuts take effect the month after they are agreed but ministers could also agree a later implementation. Three OPEC+ sources also said the group will address the issue of baselines for 2023 and 2024, from which each member performs cuts.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz, Sunday's, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Hugh Lawson, Emelia Organizations: OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Brent, Saudi Arabia's Energy, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Nigeria, Angola, OPEC, Russia, West, UAE, Ukraine, China, India

Three OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Friday cuts were being discussed among options for Sunday's session, when OPEC+ ministers gather at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) in Vienna. The sources said cuts could amount to 1 million bpd on top of existing cuts of 2 million bpd and voluntary cuts of 1.6 million bpd, announced in a surprise move in April and which took effect in May. If approved, this would take the total volume of reductions to 4.66 million bpd, or around 4.5% of global demand. The International Energy Agency expects global oil demand to rise further in the second half of 2023, potentially boosting oil prices. "There is simply too much supply," the JPMorgan analysts said in a note, noting extra cuts could amount to around 1 million bpd.

Persons: Leonhard, Russia's Novak, Hayan Abdel, Ghani, Suhail Al Mazroui, Prince Abdulaziz, Alexander Novak, Novak, Edward Moya, OANDA, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, David Holmes Organizations: Austrian, REUTERS, LONDON, OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, UAE's Energy, Brent, Saudi Arabia's Energy, International Energy Agency, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, Saudi, OPEC, Russia, Ukraine, China, India, Russian

Three OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Friday that cuts were being discussed among options for Sunday's session. The three sources said cuts could amount to 1 million bpd on top of existing cuts of 2 million bpd and voluntary cuts of 1.6 million bpd, announced in a surprise move in April and which took effect in May. If approved, this would take the total volume of reductions to 4.66 million bpd, or around 4.5% of global demand. Typically production cuts take effect the month after they are agreed, but ministers could also agree a later implementation. Two OPEC sources said the ministers could also discuss new production baselines from which each member performs cuts.

Persons: Leonhard, Hayan Abdel, Ghani, Suhail Al Mazroui, Prince Abdulaziz, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, David Holmes, Frances Kerry, Christina Fincher Organizations: Austrian, REUTERS, OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, UAE's Energy, Brent, Saudi Arabia's Energy, International Energy Agency, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, Saudi, OPEC, VIENNA, Russia, Ukraine, China, India, West, Nigeria, Angola, UAE

☆ OPEC denies media access to Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ for weekend policy meets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leonhard FoegerVIENNA, June 2 (Reuters) - OPEC has denied media access to reporters from Reuters, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal to report on oil policy meetings in Vienna this weekend, reporters, Bloomberg and people familiar with the matter said on Friday. OPEC staff declined on Friday to give media accreditation to Reuters journalists to cover the event. The staff handling media accreditation at one of Vienna's luxury hotels said they could not issue accreditation without an invite. A Bloomberg spokesperson confirmed on Friday the company has not been given accreditation to cover the OPEC meeting. Reporters from the three outlets, many of whom have been covering OPEC meetings for years, did not receive invitations from OPEC ahead of the meeting.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger VIENNA, Platts, Alex Lawler, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Ahmad Ghaddar, Julia Payne, Maha El, Simon Webb, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, REUTERS, OPEC, Reuters, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, of, Thomson Reuters Corp, Thomson, Street, Argus Locations: Vienna, Austria, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia

Three OPEC+ sources said cuts were being discussed among options for Sunday, when OPEC+ ministers gather at 2 p.m. in Vienna (1200 GMT). The sources said cuts could amount to 1 million bpd on top of existing cuts of 2 million bpd and voluntary cuts of 1.6 million bpd that was announced in a surprise move in April. Earlier, two OPEC+ sources said they did not expect the group to agree further cuts. "We will never hesitate to take any decision to achieve more balance and stability (on) the global oil market," Iraq's Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said on arriving in Vienna. The International Energy Agency expects global oil demand to rise further in the second half of 2023, potentially boosting oil prices.

Persons: JP Morgan, Hayan Abdel, Ghani, Prince Abdulaziz, Alexander Novak, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El Dahan, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Kirsten Donovan, Barbara Lewis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: OPEC, Reuters, Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, Saudi Arabia's Energy, International Energy Agency, JP, Rapidan Energy Group, Thomson Locations: Saudi, VIENNA, Russia, OPEC, Vienna, Russian

Two OPEC+ sources said they did not expect the group to agree further output cuts on Sunday, when OPEC+ ministers gather at 2 p.m. in Vienna (1200 GMT). Before then, OPEC ministers will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday. As the economic outlook worsened, several members of OPEC+ in April pledged voluntary cuts starting from May, adding to a 2 million barrels per day (bpd) reduction agreed last year. A fourth source said the idea of formalising the voluntary cuts as an OPEC+ decision was being looked at. Last week, Prince Abdulaziz told investors he said were shorting the oil price to "watch out", which many market watchers interpreted as a warning of additional supply cuts.

Persons: Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Prince Abdulaziz, Alexander Novak, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Maha El, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Saudi Energy, United, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, OPEC, Russia, Vienna, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Russian

Brent crude futures rose $2.25, or 3.1%, to $74.85 a barrel by 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT) . U.S. Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday suggested interest rates could be steady this month and the House passed a bill suspending the government's debt ceiling, improving chances of averting a disastrous default. "The successful debt ceiling negotiations clears that minefield, but the overall demand outlook is still murky - the trucking space is doing poorly, for example," CFRA Research analyst Stewart Glickman said. The oil market is focusing on the June 4 meeting of OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, which will discuss whether to cut oil production further. U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose unexpectedly last week, as imports jumped and strategic reserves dropped to their lowest since Sept. 1983, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.

Persons: Stewart Glickman, Peter McNally, Robert Yawger, Alex Lawler, Rowena Edwards, Arathy Somasekhar, Andrew Hayley, David Goodman, Kirsten Donovan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, U.S . Federal, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: China, BENGALURU, Russia, Reuters OPEC, U.S, OPEC, London, Houston, Beijing

U.S. Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday suggested interest rates could be kept on hold this month and the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill suspending the government's debt ceiling, improving the chance of averting a disastrous default. "Oil markets may have been oversold in the last two trading days," said CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng. "Sentiment rebounded amid the debt bill's passage in the House and (the) Fed's rate hike pause signal." Mixed demand indications from China, the world's biggest oil importer, have nonetheless weighed on the market, as has industry data showing a rise in U.S. crude inventories. Market sources citing American Petroleum Institute (API) figures on Wednesday said that U.S. crude inventories rose by about 5.2 million barrels last week.

Persons: Tina Teng, Tamas Varga, Alex Lawler, Rowena Edwards, Arathy Somasekhar, Andrew Hayley, David Goodman Organizations: Representatives U.S, U.S . Federal, U.S . House, Brent, West Texas, American Petroleum Institute, of, Petroleum, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, OPEC, Russia, London, Houston, Beijing

LONDON/DUBAI, June 1 (Reuters) - OPEC and its allies are unlikely to deepen supply cuts at their ministerial meeting on Sunday despite a fall in oil prices toward $70 per barrel, four sources from the alliance told Reuters. It brought total output cuts to 3.66 million bpd, or about 4% of global consumption. In March 2020, it abandoned production quotas altogether, launching a Saudi-Russian price war at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that sent oil prices 25% lower. It quickly re-established quotas with its biggest output cut to date of about 10 million bpd, agreed in April, 2020. OPEC has said it expects oil demand growth to reach 2.33 million bpd this year as non-OPEC supplies grow by 1.4 million bpd.

Persons: Brent, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Alexander Novak, Goldman Sachs, Ahmad Ghaddar, Alex Lawler, Rowena Edwards, Maha El, Simon Webb, Barbara Lewis Organizations: LONDON, OPEC, Reuters, Organization of, Petroleum, West, Brent, Saudi Energy, Saudi, HSBC, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Russia, West African, Nigeria, Angola, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Vienna, Russian, China, 2H23, OPEC, London, Maha El Dahan, Dubai, Moscow

☆ Oil drops as economic growth concerns offset OPEC+ cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Fed, which meets on May 2-3, is expected to increase interest rates by another 25 basis points. The U.S. dollar rose against a basket of currencies on Monday, making oil more expensive for other currency holders. "The failure to reach more solid ground above $80.50 in Brent points to continued selling interest amid the well known growth/demand concerns," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank. "We believe the oil market will be in deficit through the remainder of the second quarter" following the OPEC+ cuts, said Baden Moore, head of commodity and carbon strategy at National Australia Bank. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil drops as US rate hike concern, weak China data offset OPEC+ cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Fed, which meets on May 2-3, is expected to increase interest rates by another 25 basis points. The U.S. dollar rose against a basket of currencies on Monday, making oil more expensive for other currency holders. Weak economic data from China also weighed. "We believe the oil market will be in deficit through the remainder of the second quarter" following the OPEC+ cuts, said NAB's Moore, who added that the bank expected the curbs plus higher demand to drive prices higher. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In change for oil market, new US crude in Brent index lacks loading plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil-index publisher S&P Global Platts is adding U.S. WTI Midland crude to its dated Brent oil price assessment for June deliveries, which is now in focus as the market trades roughly a month ahead. Dated Brent is part of the wider Brent complex including physical cargoes, swaps and futures that is used to price millions of barrels of oil each day. The companies that run the North Sea crude streams, known as the operator, issue planned cargo loading lists which the industry monitors as an indication of supply. "We see no reason for issues," said Joel Hanley, global director, crude and fuel oil, at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Thomson Reuters competes with S&P Global Platts in providing news and data about the oil market.

☆ Oil slips on economy worries, despite upbeat China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Crude was also pressured by the Iraq federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) taking a step towards a resumption in northern oil exports from the Turkish port of Ceyhan after they were halted last month. Brent crude fell by 18 cents, or 0.2%, to $84.58 a barrel by 1336 GMT, giving up early gains. "As things stand, it's all systems go in China, much to the relief of those betting on higher oil prices," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM. But the prospect of another increase to U.S. interest rates, which has been supporting the U.S. dollar, remained a drag on sentiment. Analysts expect U.S. crude inventories to fall by about 2.5 million barrels and also forecast declines in gasoline and distillates.

☆ Oil prices steady as strong China data offsets US rate worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

2 oil consumer China offset concerns that possible increases in U.S. interest rates could dampen growth in the top consuming country. China's economy grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter while oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed. The dollar eased on Tuesday after the upbeat China data. Most traders, however, believe that the recent crude price rally is in need of a correction, said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. Crude prices posted gains for the last four weeks, a streak not seen since June 2022.

☆ OPEC cites risks to summer oil outlook, holds demand forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - OPEC on Thursday flagged downside risks to summer oil demand as part of the backdrop to shock output cuts announced by OPEC+ producers on April 2, although the producer group maintained its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2023. Some members of OPEC+, which includes OPEC, Russia and others, announced new voluntary production cuts on April 2. But in a discussion on the summer market outlook in its monthly oil report on Thursday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said oil inventories looked more ample and global growth faced a number of challenges. Still, OPEC maintained its forecast that oil demand will rise by 2.32 million barrels per day (bpd), or 2.3%, in 2023 and nudged up its forecast for China. OPEC left its 2023 economic growth forecast at 2.6% and cited potential downside risks.

The U.S. dollar rose after U.S. jobs data pointed to a tight labor market, heightening expectations of another Federal Reserve rate hike. Dollar strength makes oil more expensive for other currency holders and can weigh on demand. Oil also drew support from a steeper-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories last week, as well as a decline in gasoline and distillate stocks, hinting at rising demand. In global financial markets, a U.S. inflation report to be released on Wednesday could help investors to gauge the near-term trajectory for interest rates. Also coming up are monthly reports from OPEC on Thursday and the International Energy Agency on Friday, which will update oil demand and supply forecasts.

☆ Oil edges higher as tighter supply looms, growth concerns weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I am in the latter camp and still see prices moving higher from here as we go through the year." Adding to tightness in supply has been a shutdown of Iraq's northern exports. A deal was signed last week to restart the flows, but as of Thursday they hadn't resumed. Oil also drew support from a steeper-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories last week, as well as a decline in gasoline and distillate stocks, hinting at rising demand. Also coming up are monthly reports from OPEC on Thursday and the International Energy Agency on Friday, which will update oil demand and supply forecasts.

☆ Oil steadies as tighter supply balances growth concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude slipped 3 cents to $85.09 a barrel by 0816 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 8 cents to $80.78. "I am in the latter camp and still see prices moving higher from here as we go through the year." Adding to tightness in supply has been a shutdown of Iraq's northern exports. Oil also drew support from a steeper-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories last week, as well as a decline in gasoline and distillate stocks, hinting at rising demand. In global financial markets, a U.S. inflation report to be released on Wednesday could help investors gauge the near-term trajectory for interest rates.

☆ Analysis: OPEC+ in driver's seat as oil supply growth lags demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. shale oil drillers over the last two decades helped to turn the United States into the world's largest producer. OPEC has this year been lowering its U.S. shale oil output forecast, having also done so in 2022. OPEC trims shale forecastsAn OPEC+ source, asked if OPEC+ is in the driver's seat when it comes to the oil market now, said: "We are not in the passenger seat". LACK OF INVESTMENTOPEC sources have cited a lack of sufficient investment to increase supply as likely to support prices this year. Demand growth is expected to exceed non-OPEC supply growthThe International Energy Agency, which represents 31 countries including top consumer the United States, also expects demand growth to exceed supply growth, although to a smaller extent than OPEC.

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