AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
FRA
GER
ESP
ITA
NLD
PRT
SWE
GRC
IND
POL
BRA
ZAF
RUS
CHN
UAE
Investing.com - Oil prices suffered losses for the third consecutive session, weighed down by a larger-than-expected increase in U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles and reduced supply concerns.
At 04:40 am GMT, Brent futures had fallen by $0.30 or 0.3% to $85.6, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude lost $0.40 to 0.5% to $83.08. Both benchmarks have mostly erased the gains made earlier in the week.
U.S. crude oil inventories surged by approximately 12.9 million barrels according to market sources citing figures released on Wednesday by the American Petroleum Institute. This increase significantly surpasses the 500,000-barrel rise anticipated by analysts in a Reuters poll.
ING analysts suggested in a client note that "lower refinery run rates due to maintenance likely contributed to this build."
Gasoline inventories also swelled, rising by 3.6 million barrels, data showed. This increase sharply contrasts with the 800,000-barrel reduction predicted by analysts, further stoking concerns about slowing fuel demand in the U.S.
JP Morgan analysts noted in a client note that "fuel prices may be closer to consumers' pain threshold than inflation-adjusted prices might suggest. There are already signs that consumers have responded by cutting back on fuel consumption."
The analysts pointed out that "in PADD 5, of which California is the biggest consumer, we estimate gasoline demand dropped 100,000 barrels per day between June and September, to a seven-month low of 1.46 million barrels per day."
Investors are now awaiting further inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), due for release later in the day at 1430 GMT.
Meanwhile, concerns about the supply situation in the Middle East continue to decrease, exerting downward pressure on prices.
ANZ analysts noted in a client note that "crude oil extended losses on signs the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on the oil market will be limited."
ING analysts added that "the risk premium continues to erode with the conflict largely contained to Israel and Hamas."
However, the U.S. EIA's projections of further global oil inventories decline in the second half of 2023 somewhat offset price weakness. The anticipated lower inventories, which are expected to keep global oil supply beneath consumption, could potentially boost oil prices, the EIA noted in a monthly report.
