Oil Holds Gains With Signs Pointing to Tightening Global Market

(Bloomberg) — Oil held gains as falling US stockpiles and the possibility of OPEC+ cutting output heighten the prospects of an increasingly tight market.

Brent futures traded above $101 barrel. There have been a deluge of bullish headlines recently, with Saudi Arabia suggesting that OPEC+ could intervene if prices drop too far. US inventories fell last week as the country exported its highest-ever volume of crude and refined products with consumers across the globe rushing for supplies.

OPEC+ members have lined up to support the Saudi suggestion for market intervention, while export problems in Kazakhstan have kept supply concerns at the forefront. These have bolstered trading activity with Brent futures volumes topping 1 million contracts for the first time since the middle of July. Key timespreads that gauge market strength have also firmed markedly.

The higher prices follow a bout of weakness as concerns over the global economy continue to rip through markets. A surge in prices, including for other energy commodities such as natural gas, is threatening to push nations around the world into recessions, which would put a severe dent on demand. Any return of Iranian oil supplies would only exacerbate the situation.

“We continue to see tight fundamentals, but the risk of Iran coming back online and general macro risks continue to cap any material upside spikes,” said Keshav Lohiya, founder of consultant Oilytics Ltd.

Iran will seek to fill the void left by Russia in Europe, and try to win back customers in countries including Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey if a deal is secured, according to people familiar with the matter. Moscow has also approached several Asian countries to discuss possible long-term oil contracts at steep discounts as US officials continue to push a price-cap plan.

The US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium on Friday will also provide further clues on the state of the global economy and the outlook for interest rate hikes from the central bank.

Elements, Bloomberg’s daily energy and commodities newsletter, is now available. Sign up here.

 

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Advancing Global Competency Frameworks for the Nursing Profession - Live from ICN
Advancing Global Competency Frameworks for the Nursing Profession – Live from ICN
June 13, 2025

In this special episode recorded at the 2025 International Council of Nurses Congress in Helsinki, host Lea Sims sits down with Professor Sylvia Fung, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing & Midwifery, and Professor Ying Zhou of Guangzhou Huashang College. Together, they discuss how the nursing profession is evolving in Asia and the…

Read More
grain storage
Revolutionizing Grain Storage: A Peek into MKC and Producer Ag’s Innovative Facilities
June 12, 2025

Embrace the future of grain storage as Jon Brown, Director of Facilities for MKC Properties and Producer Ag, guides you through their state-of-the-art, automation-driven facilities. Discover how they truly set industry standards for efficiency in loading, unloading, and handling grain. What You’ll Learn — The Evolution of MKC and Producer Ag’s Grain Facilities —…

Read More
Advancing Rehabilitative Care Through Global Practice Standards and Credentialing | Andrea Christie and Karlene Miller | EP#2 - Live from ICN
Advancing Rehabilitative Care Through Global Practice Standards and Credentialing – Live from ICN
June 12, 2025

Broadcasting from the 2025 International Council of Nurses Congress in Helsinki, host Lea Sims welcomes two inspiring Jamaican nurses—Andrea Christie, MSc, BSN, ENLAC, RM, RN, JP, and Karlene Miller, RN—to discuss the vital but often overlooked specialty of rehabilitative nursing. With decades of combined experience in rehabilitation and midwifery, both guests offer an impassioned…

Read More
career resilience
Asking Questions Works: Career Resilience, Mentorship, and Real Growth in Real Estate and Beyond
June 11, 2025

In this inspiring episode of PQ: Conversations That Build Equity, host Jason Winningham sits down with Rosanna Hudson—affectionately known as “RoRo”—to explore how career resilience fuels the development of professional equity through trust, adaptability, and the courage to ask better questions. Rosanna is a seasoned real estate broker licensed in both Texas and California,…

Read More