Oil logged gains for a fifth month after another tumultuous period of trading that saw prices whipsawed by the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine and a resurgence of COVID-19 in China.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures climbed 4.4 percent last month, marking the longest monthly winning streak since January 2018.
With the war entering a third month, Germany has signaled that it would not oppose an EU embargo on Russian oil, but expressed skepticism that it is the most effective means of damaging Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Photo: Reuters
China’s outbreak has added another source of volatility. The nation’s leaders pledged to boost economic stimulus to spur growth, but virus lockdowns have swelled oil stockpiles. The world’s top crude importer is on course to register the weakest demand since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crude is rallying, with demand concerns perceived to be short-term while supply concerns are persistent, CIBC Private Wealth Management senior energy trader Rebecca Babin said. “Next week will be critical as we will get official selling prices from Saudi as a good litmus test for how much demand is suffering in China.”
WTI crude oil for June delivery on Friday fell US$0.67 to US$104.69 a barrel, up 2.6 percent for the week.
Brent crude for June delivery on Friday rose US$1.75 to US$109.34 a barrel, gaining 2.5 percent weekly.
As the path toward a potential embargo on Russian oil has grown clearer, the oil market’s structure has firmed. On Thursday, WTI was trading in its widest backwardation — a structure that indicates tight supply — in a month.
In earnings news, big oil is among the biggest corporate winners from Russia’s increasing isolation nine weeks into its invasion of Ukraine. Exxon Mobil Corp tripled its share-buyback program to US$30 billion and Chevron Corp said it would repurchase a record US$10 billion of stock before the end of this year.
Meanwhile, diesel futures in New York jumped to a fresh record on Friday in data going back to 1986 ahead of the contract expiration. It has become the world’s most in-demand fuel as buyers compete for supplies from US Gulf Coast refiners that have stepped up to plug the gap left by Russia.
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