Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Oil marches higher with sights on $114 a barrel

Oil marches higher with sights on $114 a barrel

Russia invaded Ukraine and the West responded with numerous sanctions designed to hammer Russia’s economy.
Oil relentlessly marched higher beyond $110 a barrel on Wednesday, responding to a flood of divestment from Russian oil assets by major companies and expectations that the market will remain short on supply for months to come.

The market’s surge has been dramatic, with global benchmark Brent crude gaining 11 percent this week alone after Russia invaded Ukraine and the West responded with numerous sanctions designed to hammer Russia’s economy.

While the energy sector was not specifically targeted, the sanctions, which have targeted financial transactions and banks, have hampered exporting capabilities from Russia, which ships 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil worldwide every day, more than any nation except Saudi Arabia.

“The sanctions on individuals and financial institutions have led the oil industry and other government entities to a de facto ban on Russian oil purchases,” said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston, Texas in the United States.

Global benchmarks were off earlier highs after Brent hit its highest level since 2014 while US crude surged to a peak not seen since 2011.

Brent crude futures peaked at $113.94 a barrel before easing to $110.58 by 1:07pm EST (17:07 GMT), up $5.61 or 5.3 percent. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures hit a high of $112.51 a barrel, and were last up $5.05, or 4.9 percent, to $108.46.

Both benchmarks pulled back after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the US central bank would boost interest rates several times to quell inflation.

“Demand destruction – through still higher prices – is now likely the only sufficient rebalancing mechanism,” said Goldman Sachs analysts in a note.

Relief in the form of more supply is unlikely in the near term. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies – which include Russia – stuck to its long-term plan to boost output by just 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) at a brief meeting on Wednesday.

Even as OPEC+ has increased output for the last several months, producers are routinely falling short of their targets, widening a gap that can only be filled by dipping into stockpiles.

Current worldwide demand has roughly reached levels last seen before the coronavirus pandemic, and there is inadequate supply, causing large countries to dip into their stockpiles to make up for the shortfall.

Refiners and other buyers of oil are scrambling. Prominent grades of crude oil traded worldwide, such as those in the North Sea and the Middle East, are at record premiums above Brent.

At the same time, the key Russian Urals grade is being discounted at $18 lower than the benchmark – and prospective sellers are still finding little interest in Russian oil. On Wednesday, Russia’s Surgutneftegas was unable to sell 880,000 tonnes of Urals oil from Russian ports, following cancellations of other proposed sales.

Adding fuel to the fire, the White House on Wednesday said it was “very open” to the possibility of targeting Russian oil and gas with sanctions. That could drive prices even higher, analysts said, until consumers start to balk at the rising costs.

However, National Economic Council Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti later on Wednesday said the US administration does not want to target the Russian energy sector for now.

Russian oil exports account for about 8 percent of global supply.

Trade in Russian oil was already in disarray as producers postponed sales, importers rejected Russian ships and buyers worldwide searched elsewhere for crude while Western sanctions and pullouts by private companies squeezed Russia.

Numerous global oil majors announced plans to divest of their Russian investments, including ExxonMobil, BP and Shell. On Wednesday, merchant trader Trafigura said it had frozen its investments in Russia, one day after Exxon said it would exit Russian oil-and-gas operations.

US oil inventories continued to decline, meanwhile. The key Cushing, Oklahoma crude hub’s tanks are at their lowest since 2018, while the US strategic reserves dropped to a near 20-year low – and that was before another release announced by the White House on Tuesday in tandem with other industrialised nations.

That release of 60 million barrels of oil agreed on Tuesday by International Energy Agency member countries failed to reassure the market, as prices rose after the announcement.

“Given the 100 million bpd oil demand market, 60 million barrels satiates slightly over half a day of demand … and barely gets the market past lunchtime,” wrote RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Tran.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×