Prices are unlikely to breach the $40-a-barrel, and even when the world has fixed the disease it may double down on kicking its oil habit. Six factors that help and hurt India when oil is in plenty
Equity investors took solace as the death toll from the coronavirus slowed across major European nations including France and Italy
While valuations are attractive, disruption will keep volumes muted
HPCL may benefit more from improvement in marketing margins
Aramco may need to raise cash this year as it confronts a historic rout in oil prices and a burgeoning list of spending obligations.
Petrol and diesel prices in India, however, remained on freeze for the 14th day in a row
The government control on pricing continues via tax tweaks
Global crude oil fell about 40% in March (to about $25 a barrel now) so far after talks of production cut between the OPEC and Russia failed.
Even if the daily price cut on petrol and diesel remains between 15 and 30 paisa till April 1, the marketing margin will remain high at Rs 8-10 per litre.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.75, or 6.1 per cent, to settle at $26.95 a barrel.
The coming flood of supply from Saudi Arabia and other producers could result in the largest surplus of crude in history, said global information provider IHS Markit
Saudi Arabia had been insisting for weeks that the group needed deeper production cuts to tackle the demand loss caused by the quickly spreading virus.
Foreign outflows could accelerate further if oil prices stay low
Start of new fertiliser plants offers some comfort, but disparity between procurement and selling price of gas would hurt profitability, say analysts
Market correction was long overdue
Next global recession could be around the corner and it may look a lot different from those that began in 2001 and 2008
A sustained drop in crude oil prices will affect the capital expenditure plans of ONGC and OIL
For 2019-20, the Centre had estimated average crude price of $55 a barrel, and for 2020-21, it has been assumed at $50 a barrel.
The Indian markets suffered their worst single-day rout in five years, with the benchmark indices falling 1,942 points and the rupee breaching 74 against the dollar.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2,013.45 points, or 7.78%, to 23,851.33, the S&P 500 lost 225.81 points, or 7.60%, to 2,746.56 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 624.94 points, or 7.29%, to 7,950.