West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $57.65 during the early Asian trading hours on Tuesday. The WTI price drifts higher amid geopolitical risks. Traders await the release of the American Petroleum Institute (API) crude oil stockpiles report on Tuesday for fresh impetus.
Reuters reported on Monday that Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike on the Russian presidential residence in northern Russia, prompting Moscow to reconsider its stance in peace negotiations. Ukraine dismissed Russian statements about the drone attack, and its foreign minister said Moscow was seeking “false justifications” for further strikes against its neighbor. Dented peace hopes in Ukraine could underpin the WTI price in the near term.
“Unless Russia surprises the world by backing away from previous demands regarding territory and security guarantees, we are looking for the complex to edge higher through the rest of this week and next week,” oil trading advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates said.
Additionally, US President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the US would launch another major military strike on Iran if Tehran is found rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs, while also issuing a stark ultimatum to Hamas to disarm or face severe consequences. Renewed Iran tensions raise the prospect of higher oil risk premiums and lift the WTI price.
On the other hand, concerns about a global glut might cap the downside for the black gold. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) agreed to a modest production hike of 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) for December.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
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