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  

Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) logo. AEA qualifies global roster of auditors for ammonia certification system  

Bureau Veritas, DNV, TÜV SÜD and three others cleared to verify low-emission ammonia credentials.

New York city skyline. IBIA early-bird registration deadline approaches for New York convention  

Discounted rates available for members and non-members up until the end of August.

MARAD and Core Power MOC signing. MARAD and Core Power sign cooperation framework to advance nuclear-powered merchant ships  

Agreement targets first construction from 2028 as China accelerates its own nuclear shipping ambitions.

DNV and GEA logos. GEA and DNV launch three-year ethanol data intelligence partnership  

Collaboration will integrate structured global ethanol production data into DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform.

VPS logo. Perfect storm at sea: High bunker prices meet declining fuel quality | Steve Bee, VPS  

VPS highlights sharp drop in fuel quality during 2026 amid higher prices.

Koper waterfront. SUPERALFUEL to hold first alternative marine fuels training course in Koper  

The Adriatic-Ionian initiative targets hydrogen, ammonia and methanol adoption in ports and shipping.

Steel-cutting ceremony of vessels with builder's hull nos. S1159 and S1160. CIMC SOE cuts steel on third and fourth 20,000-cbm LNG bunker vessels for GSX Energy  

Chinese shipbuilder advances series build as two hulls enter construction simultaneously.

Pennsylvania skyline. Sunoco seeks bunker trader in US to drive marine fuels growth  

New hire will be tasked with expanding Sunoco's bunker business in front-line commercial trading role.

Brooklyn Bridge and New York City skyline. Minerva Bunkering recruiting Americas sales manager as it targets regional growth  

New York-based manager is sought to build customer base across North and South America.

Marine battery container. AYK Energy to unveil swappable containerised marine battery system at SMM Hamburg  

The system claims to remove key cost and engineering barriers to marine electrification.


↑  Back to Top