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Oil rebound weakens effect of supply release
Source: Agencies |
June 30, 2011, Thursday
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AN attempt by the US and other non-OPEC governments to sway oil and gasoline prices appears to have petered out in less than a week.
Benchmark crude for August delivery gained US$1.88, or 2 percent, to settle at US$94.77 per barrel yesterday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Over two days, oil has nearly recovered the loss from last Thursday when the US and other oil-importing countries said they'd dump emergency oil supplies onto the market.
Brent crude, which is used to price many international oil varieties, also rebounded. Although at US$112.40 per barrel, it's still about 2 percent below where it was last week.
Motorists anticipating a big discount at the gas pump will likely be disappointed. Gasoline futures recovered the 20 cents per gallon that were lost after the International Energy Agency, which includes the US, said it would make 60 million barrels of crude and other fuels available this summer.
Gasoline for July delivery, which jumped 4.2 percent yesterday to settle at US$3.01 per gallon on the Nymex, is now 3.7 cents more expensive than before IEA's announcement.
Initially after the IEA announcement, analysts were predicting a drop of as much as 25 cents in pump prices. Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, said yesterday the IEA's move cut no more than 2 to 5 cents off the price of retail gasoline in the last week.
"The rest was negated because of the increase in oil during the last 24 hours," DeHaan said.
The US average gasoline price fell nearly a penny overnight to US$3.543 per gallon (3.8 liters).
Oil has this week as Greek lawmakers prepared for and passed financial reforms that were required for the country to receive the next installment of an international aid package. Without that money, the country risks defaulting on its debts. A bullish report on oil and crude supplies in the US also boosted prices on yesterday.
"The IEA did move the market, but the lesson is that many other things can move it too," said Cameron Hanover analyst Peter Beutel.
Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, said the decision in Greece eased concerns about a spreading financial crisis in Europe.
"Nobody wanted a regional collapse that would affect western banks," Kloza said. "There is a sense now that this is going to go away for a few months."
The dollar lost ground to the euro and other major currencies, which boosted oil as well. Oil, which is priced in dollars, tends to rise as the greenback falls and makes crude barrels cheaper for investors holding foreign currency.
Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration said US oil supplies dropped more than expected last week, losing 4.4 million barrels to a total of 359.5 million barrels in storage. That tally doesn't include the 30 million barrels that the US is expected to release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in August.
Gasoline supplies also fell unexpectedly by 1.4 million barrels, according to the EIA report. Oil demand in the US fell by 1.7 percent while gasoline demand dropped 0.3 percent when compared with the same period last year.
In other Nymex trading, heating oil for July delivery added 9.45 cents to settle at US$2.9202 per gallon and natural gas for August delivery dropped 0.39 cents to settle at US$4.315 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Benchmark crude for August delivery gained US$1.88, or 2 percent, to settle at US$94.77 per barrel yesterday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Over two days, oil has nearly recovered the loss from last Thursday when the US and other oil-importing countries said they'd dump emergency oil supplies onto the market.
Brent crude, which is used to price many international oil varieties, also rebounded. Although at US$112.40 per barrel, it's still about 2 percent below where it was last week.
Motorists anticipating a big discount at the gas pump will likely be disappointed. Gasoline futures recovered the 20 cents per gallon that were lost after the International Energy Agency, which includes the US, said it would make 60 million barrels of crude and other fuels available this summer.
Gasoline for July delivery, which jumped 4.2 percent yesterday to settle at US$3.01 per gallon on the Nymex, is now 3.7 cents more expensive than before IEA's announcement.
Initially after the IEA announcement, analysts were predicting a drop of as much as 25 cents in pump prices. Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, said yesterday the IEA's move cut no more than 2 to 5 cents off the price of retail gasoline in the last week.
"The rest was negated because of the increase in oil during the last 24 hours," DeHaan said.
The US average gasoline price fell nearly a penny overnight to US$3.543 per gallon (3.8 liters).
Oil has this week as Greek lawmakers prepared for and passed financial reforms that were required for the country to receive the next installment of an international aid package. Without that money, the country risks defaulting on its debts. A bullish report on oil and crude supplies in the US also boosted prices on yesterday.
"The IEA did move the market, but the lesson is that many other things can move it too," said Cameron Hanover analyst Peter Beutel.
Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, said the decision in Greece eased concerns about a spreading financial crisis in Europe.
"Nobody wanted a regional collapse that would affect western banks," Kloza said. "There is a sense now that this is going to go away for a few months."
The dollar lost ground to the euro and other major currencies, which boosted oil as well. Oil, which is priced in dollars, tends to rise as the greenback falls and makes crude barrels cheaper for investors holding foreign currency.
Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration said US oil supplies dropped more than expected last week, losing 4.4 million barrels to a total of 359.5 million barrels in storage. That tally doesn't include the 30 million barrels that the US is expected to release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in August.
Gasoline supplies also fell unexpectedly by 1.4 million barrels, according to the EIA report. Oil demand in the US fell by 1.7 percent while gasoline demand dropped 0.3 percent when compared with the same period last year.
In other Nymex trading, heating oil for July delivery added 9.45 cents to settle at US$2.9202 per gallon and natural gas for August delivery dropped 0.39 cents to settle at US$4.315 per 1,000 cubic feet.
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