Oil steady with Brent near $102, Egypt stays in focus
Oil was steady on Wednesday, with Brent close to a 28-month high, on concerns that anti-government protests in Egypt would trigger a wave of regime change in the Middle East and North Africa, source of more than a third of the world's oil.
February 02, 2011 / 15:41 IST
Oil was steady on Wednesday, with Brent close to a 28-month high, on concerns that anti-government protests in Egypt would trigger a wave of regime change in the Middle East and North Africa, source of more than a third of the world's oil.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday he would surrender power in September, angering protesters who want an immediate end to his 30-year-rule. ICE Brent for March gained 15 cents to USD 101.89 a barrel at 0306 GMT, after touching USD 102.08 on Tuesday, the highest price for a front-month contract since September 2008. US crude added 6 cents to USD 90.83."With geopolitical tensions in Egypt remaining unresolved, price risks remain skewed to the upside," said Credit Suisse analysts including Stefan Graber. "We expect oil prices to ease once tensions fade due to ample global inventories."Brent's premium to US benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures jumped to USD 11 a barrel from USD 8.50 on Tuesday after the American Petroleum Institute reported an increase in crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for WTI.Mubarak's departure would reconfigure the politics of the Middle East, with implications from Israel to oil giant Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah of Jordan replaced his prime minister on Tuesday after protests. Yemen and Sudan have also seen unrest, after Tunisia's president was overthrown by demonstrations last month.And although the unrest in Egypt has so far had no effect on transit through the Suez Canal or the Suez-Mediterranean (SUMED) oil pipeline, shipping sources said there were major disruptions in Egypt's Alexandria and Damietta ports due to staff shortages and an absence of customs officials. The International Energy Agency said the oil market does not face any emergency, but called on OPEC to remain "flexible" in the event unrest affects supply. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has refrained from boosting production and sees no supply shortage.OPEC member Libya's top oil official told Reuters the group does not need to meet to discuss oil policy in February because the market is well supplied and USD 100-per-barrel prices are justified. US crude oil stocks rose a greater-than-expected 3.8 million barrels last week, the API said on Tuesday, while inventories at Cushing climbed 667,000 barrels. Gasoline stocks also rose more than expected, by 3.9 million barrels, while distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, fell 1.1 million barrels, the API said.Government statistics on inventories and demand from the Energy Information Administration will follow on Wednesday at 1530 GMT. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
