Oil prices settle up on possible supply disruption, hopes for China demand
(Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday, driven by concerns over limited supply...
(Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday, driven by concerns over limited supply from Russia and Iran because of Western sanctions and expected higher Chinese demand.
Brent crude futures settled at $77.05 a barrel, up 75 cents, or 0.98%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude finished at $74.25 a barrel, up 69 cents, 0.94%.
API Reports Large Crude Draw, Major Jump in Fuel Inventories
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated...
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States fell by 4.022 million barrels for the week ending January 3. Analysts had expected a 250,000 barrel draw. For the week prior, the API reported a draw of 1.442-million-barrel in U.S. crude oil inventories in the midst of build season.
In 2024, crude oil inventories dropped by more than 12 million barrels, according to the API’s inventory data.
On Monday, the Department of Energy (DoE) reported that crude oil inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) rose by 0.2 million barrels as of January 3. SPR inventories are now at 393.8 million barrels, a figure that is still more than 240 million less than the inventory when President Biden took office.
Gasoline inventories rose this week by 7.331 million barrels after last week’s 2.163-million-barrel increase. As of last week, gasoline inventories are slightly above the five-year average for this time of year, according to the latest EIA data.
Distillate inventories rose by 3.201 million barrels, after last week’s large 5.719-million-barrel increase. Distillate inventories were about 6% below the five-year average as of the week ending December 27, the latest EIA data shows.
Cushing inventories—the benchmark crude stored and traded at the key delivery point for U.S. futures contracts in Cushing, Oklahoma—fell by 3.115 million barrels, according to API data, after increasing by 305,000 barrels in the previous week.
Oil CEO John Hess: Oil Markets Close To Being Balanced
At the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech, and Utilities Conference in Miami,...
At the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech, and Utilities Conference in Miami, Hess CEO John Hess shared a positive outlook on the oil market for 2025, describing it as more balanced than oversupplied despite potential challenges from Chinese demand and increased production by U.S. and non-OPEC countries. He was particularly optimistic about the shale oil sector and Hess Corporation's expansion in Guyana, where they plan to enhance their operations with ExxonMobil and CNOOC. The venture expects to increase its vessel deployment, significantly tapping into the discovered reserves, with plenty of potential remaining.
Hess also noted substantial gains in shale oil drilling efficiency and production sustainability, particularly in the North Dakota Bakken Basin. Despite the maturing of shale sectors outside the Permian Basin, these advancements are poised to support ongoing production levels.
Furthermore, Hess highlighted the strategic need for the U.S. to replenish its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bolster the domestic oil industry, a move he suggested should be a priority for the incoming U.S. administration. This commentary underscores the complexities of political risks, including those stemming from Iran and Venezuela, which may influence market volatility in the near term.
U.S. stocks tumble as Treasury yields surge after jobs, services-sector data
U.S. stocks finished lower on Tuesday as Treasury yields...
U.S. stocks finished lower on Tuesday as Treasury yields spiked after a pair of strong economic reports dampened hopes for aggressive Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts this year.
The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 375.30 points, or 1.9%, to end at 19,489.68. The tech-heavy index suffered its worst day since Dec. 18, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The S&P 500 was off 66.35 points, or 1.1%, to finish at 5,909.03.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 178.20 points, or 0.4%, ending at 42,528.36. It was the worst day for the blue-chip index since Dec. 30, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
A sharp selloff in the government-debt market weighed on U.S. technology stocks on Tuesday after the December ISM services and November job-openings reports beat consensus, leading markets to dial back their expectations for rate cuts this year.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped nearly 7 basis points to 4.684% on Tuesday afternoon, the highest since April 25 of last year. The 30-year rate spiked over 7 basis points to 4.91%, the highest since November 2023, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
"I think there's a level at which rates rise enough that investors begin to worry that it hurts the entirety of the equity market because it hurts the economy more," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company.
Severe winter storms across the US this week are expected to strain natural gas supplies and drive demand to its seasonal peak, raising concerns about potential power outages and price spikes, analysts and reliability coordinators warned. Widespread well and pipeline freeze-offs could disrupt gas production, particularly in the Appalachia and Rockies regions.
