US Crude Oil Tops $80 for First Time Since 2014 as Energy Crisis Threatens Supplies

By Julia Fanzeres (Bloomberg) —

U.S. crude futures topped $80 a barrel for the first time since November 2014 as a global energy crisis boosts demand at a time when OPEC+ producers are keeping supplies tight.

Futures in New York rose as much as 2.3% on Friday and are poised for a seventh straight weekly gain, the longest stretch of advances since December. This week brought many indications that supplies will remain constrained: Saudi Aramco said the natural-gas crisis was already boosting oil demand and U.S. Energy Department said that it had no plans “at this time” to tap the nation’s oil reserves.

Saudi Arabia and its partners opted to only modestly increase output in November. Many analysts had expected OPEC+ to deliver a bigger hike as the surge in natural gas prices looks set to cause a further spike in oil demand this winter.

Meanwhile, the dollar weakened, also boosting the appeal of commodities priced in the currency.

U.S. crude futures are holding at the highest since 2014 after OPEC+ stuck with plans for a gradual boost in supply next month despite a rapidly tightening market, in part due to the energy crisis. The economic recovery from the pandemic along with a supply disruption in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Ida had already tightened the market before rising natural gas prices spurred additional demand for oil products like diesel and fuel oil.

Oil Prices

• West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery climbed $1.71 to $80.01 a barrel at 10:17 a.m. in New York
• Brent for December settlement rose $1.37 to $83.32 a barrel

Meanwhile, China is still facing power outages and Beijing has ordered its state-owned firms to secure energy supplies for winter at all costs. Chinese fuel oil futures jumped almost 10% on Friday as local markets resumed after a week-long national holiday.

Other Market News

• Indian refiners are cranking up operating rates toward full capacity thanks to a rebound in domestic consumption and the energy crunch, which is combining to stoke demand for diesel. Most state-owned companies now plan to run their refineries at near full capacity this month, according to people familiar.
• Gas-to-oil switching driven by high natural gas prices in Europe and Asia is boosting demand for middle distillates, with stockpiles drawing in three of five key trading hubs, according to FGE.
• U.K. fuel sales were more than double normal levels at the peak of panic buying that spurred a nationwide fuel crisis late last month.

–With assistance from Sharon Cho, Alex Longley and Jack Wittels.

© 2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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