US mulls massive release from oil reserves
Oil yesterday tumbled on signs the Biden administration is considering tapping US reserves in a potentially massive release to tackle rising inflation and supply shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
West Texas Intermediate futures fell around 6% to trade near US$101 a barrel, trimming a fourth monthly gain.
The US is considering a release of roughly 1 million barrels of oil a day for several months, said people familiar with the matter. The news came ahead of an OPEC meeting yesterday and followed calls by key members for the US to trust its strategy of managing the market.
The US could release as much as 180 million barrels from its reserves, the people said, providing relief to a market that’s tightened significantly due to the war in Europe. The invasion has fanned inflation and led to wild volatility across commodity markets, with global benchmark Brent crude set for the widest trading range on record this month.
DIPLOMATIC PUSH
The US plans are accompanied by a diplomatic push for the International Energy Agency to coordinate a global release. A final decision hasn’t been reached on that yet, but the White House announcement was expected soon.
"Suggestions that we could see up to 180 million barrels released over several months is significant and would help to ease some of the tightness in the market," said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV in Singapore. It would be the biggest release on record for the US, he added.
OUTBREAK
Biden has already ordered two large releases of oil from US reserves in the past six month but it’s done little to tame rampant prices. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said this week that the US must trust its supply strategy after the cartel faced calls to pump more.
OPEC is expected to ratify a modest output increase of 432 000 barrels a day for May, according to a Bloomberg survey. The alliance wrapped up its previous meeting on supply policy in a record 13 minutes, which was held just days after Russia invaded its neighbour.
The market is also facing the prospect of a hit to demand as China tackles its worst virus outbreak since Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The country has initiated a series of lockdowns, including a staggered shutdown in the financial and commercial hub of Shanghai. – Fin24/Bloomberg
West Texas Intermediate futures fell around 6% to trade near US$101 a barrel, trimming a fourth monthly gain.
The US is considering a release of roughly 1 million barrels of oil a day for several months, said people familiar with the matter. The news came ahead of an OPEC meeting yesterday and followed calls by key members for the US to trust its strategy of managing the market.
The US could release as much as 180 million barrels from its reserves, the people said, providing relief to a market that’s tightened significantly due to the war in Europe. The invasion has fanned inflation and led to wild volatility across commodity markets, with global benchmark Brent crude set for the widest trading range on record this month.
DIPLOMATIC PUSH
The US plans are accompanied by a diplomatic push for the International Energy Agency to coordinate a global release. A final decision hasn’t been reached on that yet, but the White House announcement was expected soon.
"Suggestions that we could see up to 180 million barrels released over several months is significant and would help to ease some of the tightness in the market," said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV in Singapore. It would be the biggest release on record for the US, he added.
OUTBREAK
Biden has already ordered two large releases of oil from US reserves in the past six month but it’s done little to tame rampant prices. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said this week that the US must trust its supply strategy after the cartel faced calls to pump more.
OPEC is expected to ratify a modest output increase of 432 000 barrels a day for May, according to a Bloomberg survey. The alliance wrapped up its previous meeting on supply policy in a record 13 minutes, which was held just days after Russia invaded its neighbour.
The market is also facing the prospect of a hit to demand as China tackles its worst virus outbreak since Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The country has initiated a series of lockdowns, including a staggered shutdown in the financial and commercial hub of Shanghai. – Fin24/Bloomberg
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