Brent crude eases, but stays near $70 as demand optimism lends support

News Image

MG News | March 12, 2021 at 09:25 AM GMT+05:00

0:00

March 12, 2021: Brent crude prices eased on Friday but hovered near $70 a barrel as production cuts by major oil producers constrained supply, with optimism about a recovery in demand for the resource in the second half of the year also lending support.

Brent crude futures for May slipped 11 cents, or 0.2%, to $69.52 a barrel by 0403 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for April was at $65.83 a barrel, down 19 cents, or 0.3%.

Front-month Brent is on track to post weekly gains for the eighth week after touching a 13-month high on Monday following attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.

The sentiment was also buoyed by the decision of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, earlier this month to largely hold production cuts in April.

Investors have been pumping funds into commodities such as oil on expectations of a demand recovery in the second half of the year as the global economy grows, while a wider rollout of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic allows more people to travel this summer.

"Assuming vaccination programmes are successful, we expect pent-up demand for gasoline to be released this summer during the U.S. and European driving season," FGE analysts said in a note.

RBC Capital analysts said the fundamentals for summer gasoline is the most bullish in nearly a decade.

"We think this will support the entire oil complex this summer and beyond."

OPEC said on Thursday a recovery in oil demand will be focused on the second half of the year.

The United States, world's largest oil consumer, saw a massive draw on U.S. gasoline stocks last week as the winter storm in Texas disrupted refining output. [EIA/S]

Oil prices sustained at higher levels are expected to draw U.S. producers to increase output, JP Morgan analysts said in their weekly note.

"At current prices, most U.S. onshore operators are economic, leaving a vast group of operators, from large public companies to private players, in good position to ramp up activity in 2H21 and build solid momentum for higher volumes in 2022," JP Morgan said.

The bank now expects U.S. crude oil production to average 11.78 million barrels per day (bpd) in December 2021, up 0.71 million bpd annually, with the full year volume to average 11.36 million bpd compared with 11.32 million bpd in 2020.

Reuters

 

Related News

Name Price/Vol %Chg/NChg
KSE100 136,502.54
259.91M
1.64%
2202.77
ALLSHR 85,079.90
838.35M
1.26%
1061.74
KSE30 41,552.62
97.27M
1.81%
738.33
KMI30 193,330.76
84.69M
0.39%
741.60
KMIALLSHR 56,315.31
366.02M
0.43%
243.06
BKTi 38,498.08
37.91M
4.13%
1526.33
OGTi 28,138.38
5.66M
-0.36%
-101.89
Symbol Bid/Ask High/Low
Name Last High/Low Chg/%Chg
BITCOIN FUTURES 120,320.00 120,435.00
120,320.00
85.00
0.07%
BRENT CRUDE 69.14 71.53
69.02
-1.22
-1.73%
RICHARDS BAY COAL MONTHLY 97.50 0.00
0.00
0.25
0.26%
ROTTERDAM COAL MONTHLY 106.50 106.60
106.50
-2.20
-2.02%
USD RBD PALM OLEIN 998.50 998.50
998.50
0.00
0.00%
CRUDE OIL - WTI 66.87 66.90
66.86
-0.11
-0.16%
SUGAR #11 WORLD 16.31 16.67
16.27
-0.26
-1.57%

Chart of the Day


Latest News
July 14, 2025 at 05:26 PM GMT+05:00

Gold price in Pakistan rises Rs1,600 per tola


July 14, 2025 at 04:59 PM GMT+05:00

Tax reforms focus on public ease, transparency


July 14, 2025 at 04:23 PM GMT+05:00

PSX Closing Bell: Another One Bites the High


July 14, 2025 at 04:06 PM GMT+05:00

PKR falls 25 paisa per USD



Top 5 things to watch in this week

Pakistan Stock Movers
Name Last Chg/%Chg
Name Last Chg/%Chg