Oil prices down 1.5% for the week on recession jitters

The number of US oil rigs, an early indicator of future supply, was unchanged at 601 this week. AFP

Oil prices steadied on Friday but fell for the week on a stronger US dollar and fears that an economic slowdown would weaken crude demand.

Brent crude futures settled at $96.72 a barrel, gaining 13 cents. US West Texas Intermediate crude ended 27 cents higher at $90.77. Both benchmarks fell about 1.5 per cent on the week.

Oil briefly jumped in volatile trade on comments by Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin who said the drive to raise rates also needs to be balanced with the impact rate increases are having on the economy. But crude pared gains as investor concerns about coming rate increases settled back in.

Strength in the US dollar hit a five-week high, which also capped crude's gains as it makes oil more expensive for buyers in other currencies.

“Although the oil complex has been able to shrug off a strong dollar on any given session, extended strong dollar trends will pose a major headwind against sustainable oil price gains,” Jim Ritterbusch of oil trading advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates said in a note.

In a sign of easing oil supply tightness, the price gap between prompt and second-month Brent futures has narrowed by about $5 a barrel since the end of July to under $1. The spread for WTI has shrunk to a 39-cent premium from a nearly $2 premium in late July.

Haitham Al Ghais, the new secretary general of Opec, told Reuters he was optimistic about oil demand into 2023.

The organisation is keen to ensure Russia remains part of the Opec+ group, Mr Al Ghais said before a September 5 meeting.

Supplies could tighten again when European buyers start seeking alternative supplies to replace Russian oil before European Union sanctions take effect from December 5.

“We calculate the EU will need to replace 1.2 million barrels per day of seaborne Russian crude imports with crude from other regions,” consultancy FGE said in a note.

Data earlier this week showed US crude inventories fell sharply as the world's top producer exported a record five million barrels of oil per day last week, with oil companies finding demand from European nations looking to replace Russian crude.

However, the number of US oil rigs, an early indicator of future supply, was unchanged at 601 this week, said Baker Hughes Co, as energy companies slowly increase production to pre-pandemic levels with shale oil output in September expected to hit its highest since March 2020.

Money managers, meanwhile, cut their net long US crude futures and options positions in New York and London by 18,389 contracts to 154,824 in the week to August 16, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said.