MABUX: Bunker Market this morning, Nov 23
The Bunker Review was contributed by Marine Bunker Exchange (MABUX)
Oil prices rose about 1% higher on Friday and posted a third consecutive weekly rise, buoyed by successful COVID-19 vaccine trials, while renewed lockdowns in several countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus capped gains.
Brent crude futures rose 76 cents, or 1.7%, to settle at $44.96 a barrel.
The more active U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) January crude contract gained 52 cents, or 1.2% to $42.42 a barrel. The WTI contract for December, which expired on Friday, rose 41 cents, or 1%, to settle at $42.15 a barrel.
Both benchmarks gained about 5% this week.
Prospects for effective COVID-19 vaccines have bolstered oil markets this week. Pfizer Inc said it will apply to U.S. health regulators on Friday for emergency use authorization of its vaccine, the first such application in a major step toward providing protection against the new coronavirus.
“Despite the fact that in reality it will take time for a global vaccine campaign to be implemented, time during which oil demand will suffer, positive news are breaking daily about the vaccine deliveries,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, Rystad Energy’s head of oil markets.
Also boosting sentiment was hope that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers will keep crude output in check. The group, known as OPEC+, were expected to delay a planned production increase.
Oil prices extended gains on Monday as traders eyed a recovery in crude demand thanks to successful coronavirus vaccine trials, although prices were contained by renewed lockdowns in several countries.
Sentiment was also bolstered by hopes that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers, a group known as OPEC+, will keep crude output in check.
Brent crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.5%, to $45.17 a barrel by 0436 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 10 cents, or 0.2%, to $42.52 a barrel. Both benchmarks jumped 5% last week.
“Positive sentiment continues to be driven by the recent good news about the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines in development and the expectation that the OPEC+ meeting at the end of this month could see the group extend current cuts by 3-6 months,” said Stephen Innes, Chief Global Markets Strategist at axi.
U.S. healthcare workers and others recommended that the nation’s first COVID-19 inoculations could start getting shots within a day or two of regulatory consent next month, a top official of the government’s vaccine development effort said on Sunday.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser for “Operation Warp Speed”, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would likely grant approval in mid-December for distribution of the vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech, launching the largest inoculation campaign in U.S. history.
OPEC+, which meets on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, is looking at options to delay by at least three months from January the tapering of their 7.7 million barrel per day (bpd) cuts by around 2 million bpd.
But smaller Russian oil companies are still planning to pump more crude this year despite a global deal to cut production as they have little leeway in managing the output of start-up fields, a group representing the producers said on Friday.
U.S. energy firms cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the first time in 10 weeks even as producers return to the wellpad with crude prices mostly trading over $40 a barrel since mid June.
Oil Future close 20th November
Brent crude: $ 44.96 (+0.76) /brl FM delivery Jan (FM=Front Month)
Light crude (WTI): $ 42.42 (+0.68) /brl FM delivery Jan
Gasoil ARA; $ 359.50 (+1.75) /mton FM delivery Dec
NY Harbor Ulsd: $ 396.00 (+4.80) /mton FM delivery Dec
Oil Futures trading at GMT 07.06; Brent: $+0.27, WTI: $+0.16.
Fuel oil prices are expected to increase by 5 USD/MTON today (Fuel oil, means 380 HS and VLSFO together). We also expect for MGO an increase of 2 USD/MTON and for NY Harbor ULSD an increase of 5 USD/MTON today. All prices are based on Oil Future close on Friday evening.
