CRUDE OIL
Middle East tension pushes crude higher
Prices end marginally higher for the week
Geo political tensions in Iran and Nigeria and a lower dollar pushed up crude prices on Friday, Friday, 11 July, 2008. Israel launching an attack on Iran and worries that supplies in Nigeria and Brazil may be disrupted, sent crude prices soaring. Traders also continued to worry about slowing demand and continued selling despite a sharp drop in U.S. inventories. Prices nevertheless ended the volatile week with marginal gains.
Crude-oil futures for light sweet crude for August delivery today closed at $145.08/barrel (higher by $3.43/barrel or 2.4%) on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the week, prices gained $0.21 (0.2%). A day earlier, on Thursday, 10 July, crude rose by almost $6 at one shot today in the final hour of trading after trading around $2 higher in the previous hours.
Crude prices gained 38% in the second quarter of this year. It was the biggest quarterly increase in nine years. It ended June 2008 higher by 9.9%. Prices are 105% higher than a year ago. For the year, crude is up by 44% till date.
It was reported on Friday that Iran test fired more missiles on Thursday, after testing missiles the day before that could reach Israel. Iran is the world's fourth-largest exporter of crude oil.
At the currency markets on Friday, the dollar lost ground against other major currencies on rising geopolitical risk and renewed credit worries. The dollar index which tracks the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.6% to stand lately at 72.03.
EIA reported earlier during the week that crude inventories fell 5.9 million barrels in the week ended 4 July to stand at 293.9 million barrels. Daily crude imports averaged 9.5 million barrels last week, down 621,000 barrels from the previous week. U.S. refineries operated at 89.2% of their operable capacity last week, unchanged from the previous week.
EIA also reported that U.S. gasoline supplies rose by 900,000 barrels in the latest week, while distillates rose by 1.8 million barrels.
Against this backdrop, August reformulated gasoline rose 5.23 cents, or 1.5%, to $3.56 a gallon and August heating oil added 3.92 cents, or 1%, to $4.08 a gallon. Natural gas for August delivery, however, reversed earlier gains and fell 40 cents, or 3.3%, to $11.90 per million British thermal units.
Executive Summary
Crude prices showed immense volatility during the week that ended on Friday, 11 July, 2008. Prices gave up more than $9 during the first two days of the week. But then, it touched a all time high price of $147/barrel. It also gained $9.03 during the last two days of the week. For the week, it ended higher by a marginal 21 cents.
Prices fell during the first part of the week due to the strong dollar. But then, it gained back all of its losses after Middle East tensions cropped up between Iran and Israel and also on weekly inventory report from the Energy department.
The Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA) said during the week that it expects 2009 global energy demand to rise 1% from 2008 levels. Robust growth in developing economies will more than offset demand contractions in developed countries.
The IEA also said that the bunching of new projects and Saudi Arabia's pledge for 250,000 barrels a day in additional production should lead to an increase in spare capacity for crude oil next year. But it said current high prices are not just about tight crude supplies, pointing to refinery capacity as another major contributor.
Middle East tension pushes crude higher
Prices end marginally higher for the week
Geo political tensions in Iran and Nigeria and a lower dollar pushed up crude prices on Friday, Friday, 11 July, 2008. Israel launching an attack on Iran and worries that supplies in Nigeria and Brazil may be disrupted, sent crude prices soaring. Traders also continued to worry about slowing demand and continued selling despite a sharp drop in U.S. inventories. Prices nevertheless ended the volatile week with marginal gains.
Crude-oil futures for light sweet crude for August delivery today closed at $145.08/barrel (higher by $3.43/barrel or 2.4%) on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the week, prices gained $0.21 (0.2%). A day earlier, on Thursday, 10 July, crude rose by almost $6 at one shot today in the final hour of trading after trading around $2 higher in the previous hours.
Crude prices gained 38% in the second quarter of this year. It was the biggest quarterly increase in nine years. It ended June 2008 higher by 9.9%. Prices are 105% higher than a year ago. For the year, crude is up by 44% till date.
It was reported on Friday that Iran test fired more missiles on Thursday, after testing missiles the day before that could reach Israel. Iran is the world's fourth-largest exporter of crude oil.
At the currency markets on Friday, the dollar lost ground against other major currencies on rising geopolitical risk and renewed credit worries. The dollar index which tracks the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.6% to stand lately at 72.03.
EIA reported earlier during the week that crude inventories fell 5.9 million barrels in the week ended 4 July to stand at 293.9 million barrels. Daily crude imports averaged 9.5 million barrels last week, down 621,000 barrels from the previous week. U.S. refineries operated at 89.2% of their operable capacity last week, unchanged from the previous week.
EIA also reported that U.S. gasoline supplies rose by 900,000 barrels in the latest week, while distillates rose by 1.8 million barrels.
Against this backdrop, August reformulated gasoline rose 5.23 cents, or 1.5%, to $3.56 a gallon and August heating oil added 3.92 cents, or 1%, to $4.08 a gallon. Natural gas for August delivery, however, reversed earlier gains and fell 40 cents, or 3.3%, to $11.90 per million British thermal units.
Executive Summary
Crude prices showed immense volatility during the week that ended on Friday, 11 July, 2008. Prices gave up more than $9 during the first two days of the week. But then, it touched a all time high price of $147/barrel. It also gained $9.03 during the last two days of the week. For the week, it ended higher by a marginal 21 cents.
Prices fell during the first part of the week due to the strong dollar. But then, it gained back all of its losses after Middle East tensions cropped up between Iran and Israel and also on weekly inventory report from the Energy department.
The Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA) said during the week that it expects 2009 global energy demand to rise 1% from 2008 levels. Robust growth in developing economies will more than offset demand contractions in developed countries.
The IEA also said that the bunching of new projects and Saudi Arabia's pledge for 250,000 barrels a day in additional production should lead to an increase in spare capacity for crude oil next year. But it said current high prices are not just about tight crude supplies, pointing to refinery capacity as another major contributor.
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