- Crude Oil briefly found fresh highs on Tuesday before falling back.
- WTI tested above $83.50 per barrel before easing back to $82.50.
- API reported a steeper-than-expected drawdown in US Crude Oil supplies.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Crude Oil briefly clipped into a nine-week peak just shy of $84.00 per barrel on Tuesday before mid-US session market flows pulled barrel bids back down to $82.50.
Crude Oil markets continue to be bolstered by ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The Israel-Palestinian Hamas conflict continues to roil energy markets as investors remain concerned that a cross-border spillover of the conflict would involve direct action from Iran, which backs Hamas and would threaten Crude Oil supplies and logistics stability in the region.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) noted its steepest week-on-week US Weekly Crude Oil Stocks in nearly two years; API barrel counts noted a weekly decline of -9.163 million, far below the forecast -150K drawdown and adding to the previous week’s -3 million barrel decline.
Despite the sharp downturn in Crude Oil stocks, WTI bids remain constrained on Tuesday’s low end after the API also noted a 2.468 million uptick in Gasoline counts as refiners prepare for the summer travel peak. Distillate inventories declined -740K for the week ended June 28, and US Crude Oil stocks at the Cushing facility still rose 404K barrels.
Economic Indicator
API Weekly Crude Oil Stock
API’s Weekly Statistical Bulletin (WSB) has reported total U.S. and regional data relating to refinery operations and the production of the four major petroleum products: motor gasoline, kerosene jet fuel, distillate (by sulfur content), and residual fuel oil. These products represent more than 85% of total petroleum industry.
Read more.Last release: Tue Jul 02, 2024 20:30
Frequency: Weekly
Actual: -9.163M
Consensus: -0.15M
Previous: 0.914M
Source: American Petroleum Institute
WTI technical outlook
WTI has broken north of near-term consolidation around the $81.50 region, but intraday bullish momentum failed to breach $84.00 per barrel. WTI is primed for a near-term pullback to median bids at the 200-hour Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $81.28.
After a bullish breakout from near-term consolidation, WTI is drawing a potential bearish signal as topside momentum remains thin and US Crude Oil trades just north of the 200-day EMA near $79.00.
WTI hourly chart
WTI daily chart
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 13 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD holds ground as RBA leaves the door open for a hike
Tuesday's session witnessed the Australian Dollar clearing losses against the US Dollar following the release of the hawkish RBA minutes and the US JOLTs figures from May. For the USD, the confidence of Jerome Powell on inflation coming back down sooner on the prospects of a cooling labor market weakened the Greenback.
USD/JPY extends gains near 161.50 ahead of US data, FOMC Minutes
The USD/JPY pair trades on a stronger note near 161.40 after reaching a new high for this move near 161.75 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday. Market players remain focused on the possible foreign exchange intervention from the Bank of Japan, which might cap the pair’s upside.
Gold falls amid falling US yields, soft US Dollar
Gold price slid during the North American session as market participants digested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments at a European Central Bank forum in Portugal. Powell turned slightly dovish, yet US Treasury yields remained firm. The XAU/USD trades around $2,324.
Ethereum ETFs set for $5 billion inflows despite ETH Foundation's continuous sales
Ethereum is down more than 1.4% on Tuesday following another ETH sale from the Ethereum Foundation. Meanwhile, crypto exchange Gemini's recent report reveals that ETH ETF could see about $5 billion in net inflows within six months of launch.
Benefit of the doubt: US consumer confidence and elections
Despite widespread expectation for the US economy to be in recession in 2024, that fate has been avoided thanks to a resilient consumer. Yet it is difficult to square this undaunted spending with consumer confidence and sentiment readings that are lackluster at best.