Corrected: Oil prices fall for a second day on oversupply concerns

Image
Reuters TOKYO
Last Updated : Oct 03 2017 | 7:22 AM IST

(The story Corrects time in second paragraph to 0041 GMT, not 0941 GMT.)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil fell edged lower on Tuesday, declining for a second day and sapping more strength from a third-quarter rally, amid signs that a global glut in crude may not be clearing as quickly as bulls had hoped.

U.S. crude was down 15 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $50.43 a barrel by 0041 GMT, after closing down $1.09 or 2.1 percent in the previous session.

The U.S. benchmark posted a third quarter gain of around 12 percent, its strongest quarterly gain since the second quarter of 2016, but has now dropped nearly 5 percent from a six-month high reached on Thursday.

Brent crude , the global benchmark, was down 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $55.94 a barrel. The contract fell 67 cents, or 1.2 percent, in the previous session.

Brent had notched a third-quarter gain of about 20 percent, the biggest increase for that quarter since 2004 and traded as high as $59.49 last week. It is down about 6 percent from that level.

Iraq said on Monday that exports rose slightly in September from its southern oilfields, while an earlier Reuters survey indicated that OPEC overall boosted output.

Oil prices climbed last week on tension in Iraqi Kurdistan after the region's independence vote, with Turkey threatening to close a pipeline that brings oil from the region in northern Iraq to the Mediterranean.

Turkey has not carried out the threat, analysts said.

The recent rally had also been driven by signs that a three-year crude glut is easing, helped by a production cut deal among global producers led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

However, Middle Eastern oil producers are concerned the price rise will stir U.S. shale producers into more drilling and push prices lower again. Key OPEC producers consider a price above $60 as encouraging too much shale output.

One bullish sign was a letter from Libya's National Oil Company on Monday that declared force majeure on deliveries from Sharara, the country's largest oilfield.

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Richard Pullin)

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 03 2017 | 7:05 AM IST

Next Story