Sign up
Log in Sign up
This is a legacy page. Please click here to view the latest version.
Thu 17 May 2018, 07:23 GMT

Oil at three-and-a-half-year high on inventory deviations, geopolitical uncertainty


By A/S Global Risk Management.

Michael Poulson, Global Risk Management.
Image credit: Global Risk Management
The weekly oil inventory report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) yesterday showed a larger-than-expected draw in crude and gasoline inventories and completely in the opposite direction of the weekly oil stocks data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), and this supported oil prices. Brent increased by $1 following the EIA release. Markets are increasingly focusing on potential shortage of supplies as global inventories are shrinking.

EIA crude oil inventories: -1.1404M barrels (-0.763M expected) API crude oil inventories: 4.854M barrels (-1.850M previous)

In its monthly oil market report, published yesterday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) lowered its global oil demand growth forecast for this year by 0.1 mio. barrels per day (bpd) to 99.2 mio. bpd. Supplies are currently 98 mio. bpd, but according to the IEA: "non-OPEC growth... will grow by 1.87 mio. bpd in 2018". The reason for the revision of demand growth could be the increasing oil prices, which could dampen consumption. According to the agency, global inventories have dropped below the 5-year average - which was a goal for the current oil production cut agreement - for the first time since 2014.

Turning to economic data, today's main potential market mover is the U.S. Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index along with a couple of Fed member speeches. Other than that, no major releases.

BP  
Panos Mitrou and Yoshikazu Kondo. MOL wins LR technology award for wind-assisted propulsion on LNG carriers  

Lloyd’s Register honours Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for its Wind Challenger decarbonisation work.
Echandia Core marine battery system. Echandia to supply battery system for Incat’s new 78-metre hybrid ferry  

Swedish battery maker Echandia wins first order from Australian high-speed ferry builder Incat.
Martin Vorgod, Global Risk Management. Global Risk Management posts $9.4m pre-tax profit amid low-volatility energy markets  

Danish hedging firm grows client base and broadens product range despite subdued market conditions.
Lloyd's Register grants approval for BeHydro hydrogen engine. Lloyd’s Register grants first type approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine  

BeHydro’s spark-ignited engine, tested in Ghent, operates entirely on hydrogen without pilot fuel.
Truck-to-ship (TTS) LNG bunkering at Port of Palermo. Molgas completes first LNG bunkering operation at Palermo  

Spanish energy firm carries out maiden LNG delivery at Sicilian port.
Maersk 5,900-teu vessel. Tsuneishi China delivers third methanol dual-fuel boxship in series  

Zhoushan shipbuilder hands over another 5,900-teu Maersk container vessel.
Type approval test (TAT) for ME-LGIA ammonia engine. Everllence completes type approval test for ammonia engine ahead of sea trials  

Eight classification societies oversee testing of ME-LGIA ammonia engine at Copenhagen research centre.
Zhong Ran 23 vessel. CPN bunker barge becomes first vessel listed under Hong Kong’s new quality bunkering scheme  

Zhong Ran 23 achieves listing under the Marine Department’s voluntary mass flow metering initiative.
Peder Moller, Bunker Holding. Bunker Holding posts $73m pre-tax profit amid geopolitical headwinds and board overhaul  

Marine fuels exceeds its own expectations despite 4% revenue decline.
Oilmar Board of Directors graphic. Oilmar formalises governance structure with establishment of board of directors  

Dubai-based marine fuels trader Oilmar appoints three-member board.

↑  Back to Top


 Recommended