- WTI price loses ground near $75.15 in Thursday’s early Asian session.
- Soft demand in China weighs on the WTI price.
- The threat of supply disruptions in Libya and Middle East geopolitical risks might cap the downside.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $75.15 on Thursday. The WTI price edges lower as investors are concerned about slower economic growth in China. However, oil supply risks in the Middle East and Libya might help limit the WTI’s losses.
The sluggish economy and slowing oil demand in China raise the fear of the economic health of the world’s largest importer of oil, which weighs on the WTI price. "Demand in China remains weak, and the expected second-half rebound has yet to show credible signs of commencing," Amarpreet Singh, an analyst at Barclays, said in a note.
US crude oil stocks fell less than expected last week. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), crude oil stockpiles in the United States for the week ending August 23 dropped by 0.846 million barrels to 425.2 million barrels, compared to a fall of 4.649 million barrels in the previous week. The market consensus estimated that stocks would decline by 3.0 million barrels.
On the other hand, the potential oil supply disruptions in Libya might cap the downside for the WTI price in the near term. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo noted that the Libyan disruptions should tighten the oil market, considering real barrels are removed, but here investors want to see a drop in Libyan crude exports first. Crude oil prices climbed on Monday amid increased rivalry between competing governments in Libya, which has Africa’s biggest crude oil reserves.
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.
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