Brent Falls to Lowest Since 2010 After IEA Cuts Forecast
Brent crude fell to the lowest level in almost four years after the International Energy Agency said oil demand will expand this year at the slowest pace since 2009. West Texas Intermediate slipped for the fifth time in six days.
Futures dropped as much as 3.1 percent in London and 2.1 percent in New York. Oil consumption will rise by about 650,000 barrels a day this year, 250,000 fewer than the prior estimate, the Paris-based agency said in its monthly market report. U.S. crude supplies probably grew by 2.5 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts before a report from the Energy Information Administration on Oct. 16.
Oil futures have collapsed into bear markets as shale supplies boost U.S. output to the most in almost 30 years and global demand weakens. The biggest producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are responding by cutting prices, sparking speculation that they will compete for market share rather than trim output. Saudi Arabia won’t alter its supplies much between now and the end of the year, a person familiar with its oil policy said on Oct. 3.
“The IEA report is killing Brent,” Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, said by phone. “This is the fourth month in a row where they’ve cut their demand forecast. There’s tremendous downside risk for the market.”
Fourth Month
Brent for November settlement declined $2.54, or 2.9 percent, to $86.35 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange at 10:24 a.m. in New York. It slipped to $86.17, the lowest intraday price since Dec. 1, 2010. The volume of all futures traded was 68 percent above the 100-day average for the time of day. Prices have decreased 22 percent this year.
WTI for November delivery dropped $1.71, or 2 percent, to $84.03 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract settled at $85.74 yesterday, the lowest close since December 2012. Volume was 72 percent higher than the 100-day average. The U.S. benchmark grade traded at a $1.96 discount to Brent, down from $3.15 at yesterday’s close.
The IEA reduced its estimate for demand growth this year for the fourth month in a row, meaning oil consumption will expand by about half the rate of 1.3 million barrels a day anticipated in June. The IEA cut its 2015 demand growth forecast by 100,000 barrels a day to 1.1 million. About 200,000 barrels a day less crude will be needed from OPEC this year and next than estimated previously, the agency said.
Market Share
OPEC, which supplies about 40 percent of the world’s crude, is raising output as its members compete for market share while seeking to meet increased domestic demand. The group pumped 30.935 million barrels a day in September, the most since August 2013, according to a Bloomberg survey. The gain was led by Libya, where output climbed by 280,000 barrels a day to 780,000, the fifth straight increase.
“The recovery in Libyan oil production has pushed up total OPEC output at a time when demand growth is slowing,” Tim Evans, an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York, said by phone. “OPEC has a serious problem.”
Iraq said on Oct. 12 that it will sell its Basrah Light crude to Asia at the biggest discount since January 2009, following cuts by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Middle East producers almost always follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest member when setting export prices. The Saudis need to deepen price cuts for Asia by between 70 cents and $1 a barrel to restore a competitive position against other Middle Eastern and West African suppliers, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Divergent Views
Oil ministers from Kuwait and Algeria have dismissed possible output cuts as the price slump prompted Venezuela to call for an emergency OPEC meeting. The group is scheduled to gather on Nov. 27 in Vienna.
The EIA, the Energy Department’s statistical arm, will release its weekly petroleum inventory report on Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. in Washington, a day later than usual because of yesterday’s Columbus Day holiday. Crude supplies rose 5.02 million barrels to 361.7 million in the week ended Oct. 3, the biggest increase since April, EIA data showed.
“The market isn’t expected to get any relief from Thursday’s inventory numbers,” Yawger said. “We’re looking for it to show a substantial build in crude supplies, coming on top of a 5 million-barrel build the previous week. There’s plenty of crude on hand.”
The report will probably show that gasoline stockpiles dropped by 1.55 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 10, according to the median estimate in the Bloomberg survey of eight analysts. Inventories of distillate fuel, a category that includes diesel and heating oil, are projected to have slipped by 1.65 million barrels.
Fuel Prices
