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A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped 1% in early Asian trade on Tuesday, after falling to a three-week low in the previous session, on a stronger U.S. dollar, rising U.S. bond yields and mixed supply signals. "(Brent) crude oil prices slid to (around) $90 a barrel as rising US yields and a stronger US dollar dominated market sentiment," ANZ analysts said in a client note. Higher interest rates along with a stronger dollar also makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, which could dent oil demand. BMI Research analysts said "given that the global economy is slowing, the group will likely want to maintain their current cuts, while signposting the scope for further reductions, if market conditions demand it."

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Brent, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, ANZ, U.S ., U.S, Reserve, BMI Research, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Iraq, OPEC

An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled 1% lower on Friday due to macroeconomic concerns and profit taking, but rose about 30% in the quarter as OPEC+ production cuts squeezed global crude supply. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) settled down 92 cents to $90.97, up 1% in the week and 29% in the quarter. While the total rig count fell by 51 in the third quarter, the cuts have slowed compared with a reduction of 81 in the second quarter as oil prices have rebounded due to tightening supplies. The supply cuts announced by Saudi Arabia and Russia are expected to dominate oil prices for the remainder of this year.

Persons: Ahmed Jadallah, Brent, WTI, John Kilduff, Lael Brainard, Baker Hughes, Suvro Sarkar, Robert Harvey, Katya Golubkova, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter, Paul Simao, Jan Harvey, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Energy Information Administration, Investors, White, Evergrande, HK, Reuters, Aramco, National Australia Bank, DBS Bank, Thomson Locations: Aramco, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New York, U.S, Brent, OPEC, Russia

☆ US oil jumps $1 on crude draw, tight global supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) led the charge, rising above $95 for the first time since August last year. Brent crude futures climbed 77 cents, or 0.8%, to $97.32 a barrel after hitting levels not seen since November. U.S. crude stocks fell by 2.2 million barrels last week to 416.3 million barrels, government data showed, far exceeding the 320,000-barrel drop analysts expected in a Reuters poll. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub, delivery point for U.S. crude futures, fell by 943,000 barrels in the week to just under 22 million barrels, the lowest since July 2022, data showed. "We expect as near-term oil prices continue to push higher a reduction of current supply cuts is increasingly likely," National Australian Bank's analysts said in a note.

Persons: WTI, Stefano Grasso, Cushing, Grasso, Vladimir Putin, Florence Tan, Laura Sanicola, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Kyodo, U.S . West Texas, Brent, Cushing, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, United States, Saudi Arabia, U.S, 8VantEdge, Singapore, Oklahoma, Russia, OPEC, Australian, Saudi

An aerial view shows oil tanks of Transneft oil pipeline operator at the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia June 13, 2022. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) climbed 36 cents, or 0.4%, to $90.02. The Fed on Wednesday maintained interest rates, but stiffened its hawkish stance, projecting a quarter-percentage-point increase to 5.50-5.75% by year-end. "The Fed stance and a strong labor market has driven equities and commodities lower, pressuring oil," said Kilduff. Oil prices remained supported by concern about tight supply globally entering the fourth quarter.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, refiners, Tamas Varga, Vargas, John Kilduff, Paul Carsten, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman, Alexandra Hudson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: . West Texas, . Federal, Fed, U.S ., U.S . Labor Department, Bank of England, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Russian, ., New York, Norway's, Cushing, London

☆ Oil falls as US rate hike expectations offset tight supply outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Trixie Sher Li Yap | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An aerial view shows oil tanks of Transneft oil pipeline operator at the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Thursday, after posting the largest fall in a month in the previous session, as U.S. interest rate hike expectations offset the impact of drawdowns in U.S. crude stockpiles. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 70 cents, or 0.78%, to $88.96, the lowest since Sept. 14. The hawkish stance also led to the U.S. dollar surging to its highest since early March, placing downside pressure on oil prices. "This tightness, along with strong refinery margins (largely a result of tightness in middle distillates) suggests that oil prices are likely to see further strength in the short term," he said.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, refiners, Warren Patterson, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Sonali Paul Organizations: . West Texas, ING, U.S . Federal Reserve, Open Market, U.S, Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, American Petroleum Institute, ANZ, Cushing, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Saudi Arabia

☆ Oil falls as rate hike expectations offset US stock draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Trixie Sher Li Yap | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An aerial view shows oil tanks of Transneft oil pipeline operator at the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Thursday, after posting the largest fall in a month in the previous session, as U.S. interest rate hike expectations offset the impact of drawdowns in U.S. crude stockpiles. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 71 cents, or 0.79%, to $88.95, the lowest since Sept. 14. The hawkish stance also led to the U.S. dollar surging to its highest since early March, placing downside pressure on oil prices. "This tightness, along with strong refinery margins (largely a result of tightness in middle distillates) suggests that oil prices are likely to see further strength in the short term," he said.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, refiners, Warren Patterson, Laura Sanicola, Sonali Paul Organizations: . West Texas, ING, U.S . Federal Reserve, Open Market, U.S, Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, American Petroleum Institute, ANZ, Cushing, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Saudi Arabia

☆ U.S. crude stocks fall as exports surge -EIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude stocks fell last week, driven by strong crude oil exports, while gasoline and diesel inventories drew down as refiners began annual autumn maintenance, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub (USOICC=ECI) fell by 2.1 million barrels in the last week, EIA said, its lowest since July 2022. The drop in inventories was driven by a 2,000 barrel per day climb in crude oil exports, the EIA data showed. Net U.S. crude imports (USOICI=ECI) fell by 3.04 million barrels per day, EIA said. Refinery crude runs (USOICR=ECI) fell by 496,000 barrels per day in the last week, EIA said, while refinery utilization rates (USOIRU=ECI) fell by 1.8 percentage points in the week.

Persons: Bing Guan, refiners, John Kilduff, Laura Sanicola, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Angeles Refinery, California Air Resources Board, Energy Information Administration, Cushing, . West Texas, Brent, U.S . Federal, Net, EIA, Thomson Locations: Angeles, California, Carson , California, U.S, Oklahoma, New York

Its startup could add as much as $2 per barrel to prices paid by U.S. Midwest oil refineries that sit along Canada's existing main oil-export route. "They will be competing for barrels that no longer transit through their region," said a Calgary-based oil trader. That has left Canadian oil producers vulnerable to deep price discounts or "blowouts" whenever pipelines become congested or rupture. The start-up of TMX could add a "buck or two" to the cost of a barrel for Midwest refiners, he estimates. So far this year, over 200,000 bpd of Canadian crude has been re-exported from the U.S. Gulf Coast, up from about 73,000 bpd in 2019, Kpler data showed.

Persons: Rory Johnston, Matt Smith, Smith, Stephanie Kelly, Nia Williams, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: U.S ., U.S, BP, Citgo Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Flint Hills Resources, Canadian, Energy, Administration, TC, Keystone, refiners, Americas, Thomson Locations: CALGARY, Alberta, Coast, U.S, U.S . Midwest, Gulf Coast, Midwest, Flint, Calgary, Canada, Pacific, U.S . West Coast, Asia, Gulf, China, Kpler

Brent crude settled down 1 cent to $90.64 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled down 22 cents to $87.29. "Much of this reduced supply has simply served to offset a major slowdown in global oil demand," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois. Meanwhile, Europe is expecting a light refinery maintenance season this autumn as refiners look to profit from high margins, which could support crude demand. The IEA last month lowered its 2024 forecast for oil demand growth to 1 million bpd, citing lacklustre macroeconomic conditions. OPEC's August report, meanwhile, kept its 2.25 million bpd demand growth forecast unchanged.

Persons: Brent, Wally Adeyemo, Jim Ritterbusch, Ras Lanuf, Wood Mackenzie, Naeem Aslam, OPEC's, Robert Harvey, Natalie Grover, Florence Tan, Emily Chow, Emelia Sithole, Andrea Ricci, Chizu Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, West Texas, Monday U.S, Ritterbusch, Associates, U.S, Zaye, European Central Bank, International Energy Agency, Organization of, Petroleum, IEA, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Galena , Illinois, U.S, Libya, Zueitina, Brega, Es Sidra, Europe

NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, reversing early declines as traders anticipated further draws on U.S. crude oil inventory following extended production cuts in Saudi Arabia and Russia. Brent crude futures settled up 56 cents to $90.60 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures settled up 85 cents to $87.54. "We have pretty low crude supplies in the U.S., with several weeks of big crude oil draws pushing prices up," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures also at Mizuho. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and Russia extended voluntary oil supply cuts to year end. Oil prices were down early on rate-hike concerns and investor worries about the economy after data showed the ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5.

Persons: Brent, Bob Yawger, Paul Carsten, Mohi Narayan, Arathy, David Evans, Jason Neely, Nick Zieminski, Nick Macfie, David Gregorio Our Organizations: West Texas, Mizuho, American Petroleum Institute, U.S . Energy, Administration, Labor, Saudi, REUTERS, Brent, PMI, IIR Energy, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S, Volgograd, Iran, Venezuela, Libya, London, New Delhi, Houston

Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were by late August about 15% below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the Energy Information Administration. "We are living barrel to barrel and there is just no room for errors in the system," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said. Refiners have failed to build sizable stocks ahead of the seasonal surge in demand due to tight supplies of medium and heavy crude oil grades that are distillate-rich. Seasonal overhauls could take out around 2 million bpd of the country's 18.1 million bpd refining capacity, he said. "Even with soft demand, diesel inventories are stubbornly low, and cracks have rallied in search of supply or demand-side relief before winter," the analysts said.

Persons: Bing Guan, Phil Flynn, Refiners, Bjarne Schieldrop, SEB, Robert Yawger, Shariq Khan, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Angeles Refinery, California Air Resources Board, Energy Information Administration, Futures, Organization Petroleum Exporting, Saudi, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Angeles, California, Carson , California, U.S, Europe, OPEC, Ukraine, Garyville , Louisiana

REUTERS/Chen Aizhu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Oil futures climbed about 1% to a one-week high on Friday as U.S. diesel prices soared, the number of oil rigs dropped and a fire broke out at a refinery in Louisiana. Brent futures rose $1.12, or 1.3%, to settle at $84.48 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 78 cents, or 1.0%, to settle at $79.83. Diesel futures soared about 5% to a near seven-month high, boosting the diesel crack spread , a measure of refining profit margins, to its highest since January 2023. "The main thing was concern about diesel prices, the diesel crack spread and worries about diesel shortages when refineries go into maintenance," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. He added prices also drew support from a fire at a Louisiana refinery and a drop in U.S. oil rigs.

Persons: Chen Aizhu, Phil Flynn, Brent, WTI, Baker Hughes, Jerome Powell, Morgan Stanley, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, David Goodman, Jason Neely, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Diesel, Price Futures Group, U.S ., Federal, Thomson Locations: China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Louisiana, Brent, , Louisiana, U.S, Germany, Europe's, Norwegian, London, Washington, Singapore

☆ Oil set for 2nd weekly fall on firm dollar as supply worries ebb
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude rose 30 cents, or 0.4%, to $83.66 a barrel by 0434 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 31 cents, also 0.4%, at $79.36 a barrel. Crude prices are set to fall between 1.5%-2.5% for the week, a second consecutive week of decline. A strong dollar makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, denting demand. Further weighing on market sentiment, U.S. officials are drafting a proposal that would ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector, allowing more companies and countries to import its crude oil. Analysts estimated that the top oil exporter will likely roll over a voluntary oil cut of 1 million barrels per day for a third consecutive month into October, amid uncertainty about supplies and as the kingdom targets drawing down global inventories further.

Persons: Chen Aizhu, Jerome Powell, Brent, Jun Rong, Powell's, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, Companies United, Federal, U.S, West Texas, IG, Haitong Futures, Analysts, Thomson Locations: China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Companies United States, America, Turkey, Kurdistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia

Brent crude was down 36 cents at $84.10 a barrel by 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT). China, the world's second-largest economy, is considered crucial to shoring up oil demand over the rest of the year. Amplifying demand concerns, U.S. central bank officials have not ruled out further interest rate hikes to contain inflation. A preliminary Reuters poll showed that crude oil and gasoline inventories were expected to have fallen last week, with data from American Petroleum Institute due later on Tuesday. Separately on Monday, Shell (SHEL.L) said it was investigating a possible leak on the 180,000 bpd Trans Niger oil pipeline, though no force majeure has been declared.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Brent, Jim Ritterbusch, majeure, Natalie Grover, Paul Carsten, Muyu Xu, Katya Golubkova, Tomasz Janowski, David Evans, David Goodman, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Shell, West Texas Intermediate, Saudi, Ritterbusch, Associates, American Petroleum Institute, of Commerce, Shell, Thomson Locations: Bakersfield , California, China, Russian, Galena , Illinois, U.S, Iraqi, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi, Niger, London, Singapore, Tokyo

Consumers purchase gasoline at a gas station as a plane approaches to land at the airport in San Diego, California October 8, 2012. National retail gasoline prices will average $3.90 a gallon this month, predict analysts at Goldman Sachs. Jones said he was relieved prices were not close to the $5 a gallon level of last summer. Total U.S. gasoline stocks this month fell to 216.4 million barrels, the fifth decline in six weeks, according to U.S. government data. Reporting by Laura Sanicola and Shariq Khan; editing by Stephanie Kelly and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Blake, Goldman Sachs, Martin Jones, Jones, Irving Oil's, Patrick De Haan, Laura Sanicola, Shariq, Stephanie Kelly, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Consumers, American Automobile Association, Toyota Corolla, Washington , D.C, U.S . Midwest, Total U.S, U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Hurricanes, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, California, Washington, Massachusetts, Washington ,, U.S, Ohio, Michigan, Whiting , Indiana, New Brunswick, Canada, Trainer ,, Texas, Gulf

Both benchmarks have been on a sustained rally since June, with West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) trading on Thursday at its highest this year and Brent hitting its highest price since January. Brent crude fell $1.15, or 1.3%, to settle at $86.40 a barrel while WTI settled down $1.58, or 1.9%, at $82.82. Oil prices have been boosted in recent days by extensions to output cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia, alongside supply fears driven by the potential for conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region to threaten Russian oil shipments. The U.S. is also prohibiting some investment in China in sensitive technologies like computer chips and requires government notification in other tech sectors. Thursday's U.S. consumer prices data for July fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its aggressive rate hike cycle.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, WTI, John Kilduff, John Ritterbusch, Natalie Grover, Muyu Xu, Mark Potter, Elaine Hardcastle, Andy Sullivan Organizations: West Texas, Federal Reserve, Ritterbusch, Associates, Thomson Locations: North, Saudi, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, China, U.S, New York, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf, Mexico, Galena , Illinois, London, Singapore

☆ Oil steadies as U.S. rate hike fears subside
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude was down 23 cents to $87.32 a barrel at 1251 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was down 37 cents at $84.03. Oil prices have been boosted in recent days by extensions to output cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia, alongside supply fears driven by the potential for conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region to threaten Russian oil shipments. On Thursday, OPEC said in its monthly report it expected a healthy oil market for the rest of the year, and stuck by its forecast for robust oil demand in 2024, as the outlook for world economic growth slightly improves. "The poor state of China’s manufacturing, its property sector and some stubborn world inflation stand out as issues that the oil fraternity chooses to ignore at present." Thursday's U.S. consumer prices data for July fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its aggressive rate hike cycle.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, WTI, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Muyu Xu, Laura Sanicola, David Goodman, Mark Potter Organizations: West Texas, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: North, Saudi, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, China, London, Singapore, Washington

Recovering profit margins may prompt complex refiners to maximise yields of transport fuels, causing excess naphtha output as a byproduct in a tepid petrochemical market and further depressing feedstock margins. Mandell expects margins to continue to perform well throughout the year heading into higher-demand crop planting season and into winter in the United States. "The healthy margins reflect the bull market for diesel combined with still strong gasoline cracks even if gasoline did weaken sharply on week. U.S. oil companies said during recent second quarter earnings presentations that strong global demand for fuels and low product inventories are driving robust profits. "Global capacity additions continue to progress slower than anticipated, and we believe that global demand growth will remain strong," Hennigan added.

Persons: Brian M, Mandell, Eugene Lindell, bullish HSFO, FGE's Lindell, Lindell, ENEOS, Phillips, Michael J, Hennigan, Mohi Narayan, Laura Sanicola, Ahmad Ghaddar, Jeslyn Lerh, Tony Munroe, Muralikumar Organizations: NEW, Phillips, Saudi, Reuters, Petronas, Hyundai, India's Reliance Industries, Oil, Marathon Petroleum, Marathon, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, WASHINGTON, Latin America, Asia, United States, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, U.S, New Delhi, Washington, London

☆ Oil dips as demand concerns mount; eyes on US inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 5.9 million barrels in the last week to 445.6 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.6 million-barrel rise, U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. U.S. crude oil exports fell by 2.9 million barrels per day last week, the steepest fall on record, to 2.36 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the data. Concerns over LNG supply drove European gas prices to a nearly 2-month high on Wednesday and buoyed the demand outlook for diesel as alternative fuel. However, oil prices remained supported by supply tightness worries as tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region could threaten shipment of Russian oil. Top exporter Saudi Arabia's plans to extend its voluntary production cut of 1 million barrels per day for another month to include September.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, Phil Flynn, Priyanka Sachdeva, Phillip Nova, Jun Rong, Muyu Xu, Laura Sanicola, Muralikumar Organizations: West Texas, U.S . Energy, Price Futures, Index, CPI, Woodside Energy Group, IG, Saudi, Thomson Locations: North, China, U.S, ., United States, Chevron, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Washington

Brent crude fell 20 cents, or 0.2%, to $87.35 a barrel by 0006 GMT, after settling at its highest since Jan. 27 in the previous session. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 23 cents, or 0.3%, to $84.17, after settling at its highest since November 2022. Chinese data on Tuesday showed crude oil imports in July fell 18.8% from the previous month to their lowest daily rate since January. China's consumer sector also fell into deflation and factory-gate prices extended declines in July, as the world's second-largest economy struggled to revive demand. Also supporting prices were top exporter Saudi Arabia's plans to extend its voluntary production cut of 1 million barrels per day for another month to include September.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, Laura Sanicola, Muralikumar Organizations: West Texas, Saudi, Investors, U.S, Consumer, Index, Thomson Locations: North, Saudi, Russian, Russia, Washington

☆ Oil hedge funds place their bets on heat-fueled hurricane season
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Gasoline prices usually rise ahead of the U.S. summer driving season. Money managers in the week to Aug. 1 boosted their net long holdings of NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures to the highest since late February 2022. HEDGE FUND-FUELED TURNAROUNDGasoline futures have risen around 14% this year, compared with a roughly 2% rise for U.S. crude futures . To guarantee a profit, they need the rise in gasoline prices to be sustained until hurricane activity is confirmed. But for gasoline to continue its rise against the price of crude oil, there needs to be a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, they said.

Persons: Liz Hampton, Tom Kloza, Vincent Elbhar, Eliot Geller, Brent Belote, Cayler, Belote, Arion, Nell Mackenzie, Laura Sanicola, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Liz Hampton LONDON, Gulf Coasts, Silicon Valley, Societe Generale, Reuters, Money, Futures Trading Commission, Reuters Graphics, El, Oil Price Information Service, CTA, Investment, Commodity, Fund, Aspect, CoreCommodity Management, CoreCommodity, Barclays, JP, Cayler, Thomson Locations: Loco Hills, New Mexico, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Gulf of Mexico, United States, Gulf, Silicon, Gulf Coast, Mexico, Europe, Hurricanes, Washington

Bolstered by supply cuts from the OPEC+ alliance announced earlier this month, both oil benchmarks gained nearly 5% for the week - a fifth straight week of gains. The benchmarks are on track to gain over 13% for the month. In an interview on Friday, Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) chief Darren Woods said he expected record oil demand this year and next. On the supply side, U.S. oil rigs fell by one to 529 this week, their lowest since March 2022, energy services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O) said on Friday. Saudi Arabia is expected to extend the voluntary oil output cut for another month to include September, five analysts said, to provide additional support for the oil market.

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell's, Tamas Varga, Darren Woods, Baker Hughes, Stephanie Kelly, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Andrew Hayley, Deepa Babington, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: drillers, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, U.S, West Texas, Price Futures, Federal, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: France, Spain, China, OPEC, United States, U.S, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New York, London, Washington, Beijing

[1/3] U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm delivers a speech during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - The largest U.S. solar power site and other clean energy projects could be built on lands owned by the Department of Energy, including where components for Cold War-era atomic bombs were developed, the agency said on Friday. The administration wants the U.S. grid to run on clean energy by 2035. The event included developers of renewable power and nuclear power, involving participants with experience implementing clean electricity projects generating at least 200 megawatts. Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Laura Sanicola in Washington Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Energy Jennifer Granholm, Callaghan O'Hare, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Joe Biden's, Hanford, Timothy Gardner, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Energy, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Department of Energy, DOE, U.S . Energy, Washington , D.C, Idaho National Laboratory, Nevada Nuclear Security, Manhattan, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Washington ,, Hanford, Richland , Washington, Idaho, Idaho Falls , Idaho, Nye County , Nevada, Savannah, Aiken , South Carolina, Carlsbad , New Mexico, Washington

July 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped in Asian trade on Friday but were on track for a fifth straight week of gains following strong economic data in the U.S., and on speculation over Chinese stimulus measures and OPEC+ output cuts. Brent crude fell 42 cents, or 0.5%, to $83.82 a barrel by 0404 GMT, but was on track for a weekly 3.5% increase. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 34 cents, or 0.4%, to $79.75 a barrel, but were heading for a 3.6% weekly increase. But recent interest rate increases from global central banks seeking to tame stubborn inflation raised questions about long term demand. Earlier this week oil fell after data showed U.S. crude inventories fell less than expected.

Persons: Brent, Jerome Powell's, Baden Moore, Jim Ritterbusch, Laura Sanicola, Andrew Hayley, Lincoln, Sonali Paul Organizations: . West Texas, Commerce Department, Federal, Organization of, Petroleum, bbl, National Australia Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Ritterbusch, Associates, Thomson Locations: U.S, 3Q23, Saudi, Galena , Illinois, Washington, Beijing

A Biden administration source said such conversations with service providers about their requirements have been constant during the implementation of the caps. The price cap bans Western companies from providing services such as transportation, insurance and financing for the oil sold above the cap. Treasury uses a monthly average of prices to calculate the Urals price, which means it may be a while before the Russian oil price can be considered over the cap. 'POLICY PICKLE'The administration, however, is set to move slowly, wary of creating ripples in a market that could send rising global oil prices higher. "But there won't likely be a dramatic change unless oil prices stay high for a while."

Persons: Biden, We’ve, Joe Biden, Wally Adeyemo, Elizabeth Rosenberg, Adeyemo, Ben Cahill, Cahill, Timothy Gardner, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Group, European Union and Australia, Treasury, Foreign Assets, RUSSIA, The State Department, EU, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Thomson Locations: Washington, Ukraine, U.S, Urals, India, China, Russia, Europe, Russian, Eastern

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