Oil prices edge up after falling below $40 a barrel

Oil prices have edged up after US crude broke below $40 per barrel the previous session, but traders said fuel markets continued to be dogged by excess production.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $40.15 a barrel this morning, up 9 cents from its last close after dipping below $40 for the first time since April the previous session. International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $42.34 per barrel, up 20 cents from their last close.

Despite the slightly higher prices, oil market data implies bearish market conditions. Industry data shows that the global oil rig count for new production edged up in June for the first time this year, rising by two to 1,407, largely thanks to an uptick in US drilling. Actual production in the United States is also up slightly, according to government data.

Financial oil traders have taken note of the glut, with hedge funds taking on large volumes of bets that would profit from lower prices, known as shorts.

“Speculators increased their shorts by the biggest volume on record . . . for WTI crude . . . dragging the net long position in WTI to its lowest since February,” said Matt Smith of US-based ClipperData. “Another bearish development from the CFTC data has been gasoline positioning. Speculative positions in gasoline have moved to a record net short position as hedge funds bet on an ongoing gasoline supply glut.”

Analysts said that high production levels in crude and the refining sector would continue to weigh on markets after contributing to a 20 per cent price fall since June. As a result, refiners will likely reduce orders for new crude feedstocks.

“Weaker crude throughput at refineries will lower crude demand,” BMI Research said.

– (Reuters)