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Oil prices rebound as growing geopolitical tensions fuel supply fears
Oil prices bounced back today, recovering some of the previous day’s losses, as growing tension in Eastern Europe and the Middle East fuelled concerns over possible supply disruptions.
Brent crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.7%, to $86.88 a barrel this morning after touching a session high of $87.27 a barrel earlier, reversing a 1.8% fall in the previous session.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 44 cents, or 0.5%, to $83.75 a barrel, having slid 2.2% yesterday.
Oil prices reached seven-year highs last week, bolstered by tight worldwide supply and resurgent global demand.
NATO said yesterday it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, in what Russia denounced as Western “hysteria” in response to its build-up of troops on the Ukraine border.
In the Middle East, Yemen’s Houthi movement, aligned with Iran, launched a missile attack at the United Arab Emirates that targeted a base hosting the US military.
But the attack was thwarted by US-built Patriot interceptors, US and Emirati officials said.
“Downside risk on the oil market will be limited as any escalations of the situation in Ukraine or the Middle East will cause the prices to skyrocket,” said Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities.
“Also, supply tightness is expected to continue as OPEC+ is struggling to reach its output target and will likely keep its policy of gradual increase of supply,” he said.
OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with Russia and other producers, is struggling to hit its monthly output increase target of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Lower US oil inventories are also providing support, with crude inventories around the NYMEX WTI delivery point at Cushing in Oklahoma at the lowest for the time of year since 2012.
Portfolio investors added to their bullish positions in oil for the fifth week running, as the worst of the latest wave of coronavirus infections passed and governments began to lift restrictions on business and travel.
Article Source – Oil prices rebound as growing geopolitical tensions fuel supply fears – RTE
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