Get 40% Off
🤯 Perficient is up a mind-blowing 53%. Our ProPicks AI saw the buying opportunity in March.Read full update

Crude Oil Prices Hold Steady, Output Concerns Persist

Published 03/16/2018, 04:28 AM
© Reuters.  Crude oil little changed as supply worries overshadow demand outlook

Investing.com - Crude oil prices held steady on Friday, as ongoing concerns over global output overshadowed upbeat demand predictions.

The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude April contract was steady at $61.20 a barrel by 04:30 a.m. ET (08:30 GMT).

Elsewhere, Brent oil for May delivery on the ICE Futures Exchange in London was little changed at $65.11 a barrel.

Oil prices weakened after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia forecast non-OPEC supply of around 1.60 million bpd for 2018, compared to 1.40 million bpd prior.

However, OPEC added that its efforts to cut supply continued to contribute to rebalancing the market.

OPEC agreed in December to cut oil output by 1.8 million bpd until the end of 2018. The agreement was due to end in March 2018, having already been extended once.

Oil prices were also under pressure since the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that crude oil inventories rose by 5.022 million barrels in the week ended February 10, compared to expectations for a crude-stock build of 2.023 million barrels.

The concerns overshadowed forecasts by the International Energy Agency of an increase in global oil demand for the next year.

In its monthly report released on Thursday, the IEA increased its global demand growth outlook for 2018 by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.5 million bpd.

The Agency also noted that changes in trade policy could have a negative impact on oil production, with a slowdown most likely hitting maritime and trucking fuels.

3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads .

Elsewhere, gasoline futures slipped 0.10% to $1.919 a gallon, while natural gas futures were little changed at $2.683 per million British thermal units.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.