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Tue, Mar

OPEC: Oil Price Stable After Successful Engagement

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Oil price in the world market has on Tuesday after a volatile session sparked by confusion over the status of the U.S-China trade deal.

 

Marketers were jittered by comments emanating from the White House trade adviser, Peter Navarro, saying the hard-won deal was “over” quoting president Donald Trump who later confirmed the agreement was fully intact.

Brent crude dropped by 10 cents to $42.98 a barrel at about 0649hrs GMT, shortly after sliding to $42.21.

U.S oil was down by 16 cents, or simply put it 0.4 percent to $40.57 per barrel having fallen to as low as $39.76.

The U.S-China relations have reached their lowest ebb this year since the outbreak of the coronavirus that breakout in China and left the U.S with a devastating effect.

President Trump had repeatedly described the virus as Chinese made, accusing Beijing of not being sincere with information about the outbreak.

According to Navarro while briefing Fox News through an interview he said, prices have slid suddenly, that the trade deal with China is “Over” linking the breakdown in part to Beijing for not sounding the alarm earlier about the outbreak of the deadly virus.

Subsequently, Navarro issued a statement saying that he had been “Speaking to the lack of trust” in the Chinese administration, the comment which he said was “quoted out of context” but said trade deal has remained in place.

However, Edward Moyer, a senior market analyst at breakage OANDA said, “These comments from Navarro’s came out of nowhere.”

He added, “Energy traders will likely remain skeptical of the relationship between the U.S. and China if the Chinese fail to quickly make up for the shortfall with their promises of agricultural goods (purchases).’’

Meanwhile, with the reopening of some U.S states and countries around the world after the coronavirus lockdown that nearly annihilate the global economy,   prices have risen earlier in the session.

In New York, streets were clogged with traffic as the worst affected city in the U.S emerged from more than 100 days of the lockdown.

Tensions in the Middle East also lent some support to oil prices.

Meanwhile, on the supply side, the United State and the Canadian oil and gas drillers have cut the number of rigs they are operating to cut the output.

Stephen Innes, the Chief Global Markets strategist at AxiCorp said, “U.S. onshore production has now given up two full years of (volume) gains,’’

“It supports the market supposition that even with a rebound in price; the capital investment that had already been tapering off in Q1 isn’t flowing back quickly.”

Bank of America (BofA) Global research has since lifted oils oil price forecast for this year, seeing Brent averaging $43.70 per barrel in 2020, up from a previous estimate of $37.

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