Crude oil inventories at Cushing have dropped to their lowest level for this time of year in over a decade.
The depleting stocks at Cushing and the bearish sentiment on the oil market, especially the recent more negative positioning in WTI Crude, could lead to high prices in the near term.
In the three weeks to January 19, inventories at Cushing fell by more than 5 million barrels.
U.S. crude can’t compete now in Asia because freight rates have made it too expensive.
Due to the higher freight costs, WTI Crude is now $1 a barrel more expensive than Abu Dhabi’s Murban, versus small discounts or parity in prices last week.
For example, India is looking to buy more term supplies from Saudi Arabia and from West African producers as the world’s third-largest crude oil importer is always on the hunt for bargains for its crude supply.
U.S. oil production reached a record 13.2 million barrels per day, significantly increasing exports, especially to Europe and Asia.
End-of-year tax considerations are prompting traders to export more oil to reduce taxable inventory, with exports expected to average 5 million barrels per day.
The integration of WTI Midland in the Brent basket and the European embargo on Russian oil have contributed to the growing popularity of U.S. crude in global markets.
Saudi Arabia reduced the official selling price of its flagship crude by $0.50 per barrel for Asian buyers in January.
This is the first price reduction in seven months, although it is a smaller reduction than analysts had expected.
The move was in response to intensified international competition after OPEC production cuts pushed Middle Eastern oil prices higher.
Saudi Arabia said it would extend its voluntary production cuts of 1 million barrels daily of crude until the end of the year.
Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco has told at least five refiners in North Asia that it would supply the full crude oil volumes by contract next month, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting sources familiar with the plans.
Several buyers in Asia are looking to buy spot oil cargoes from Russia, Africa, Brazil, or the United States after the world’s top crude exporter, Saudi Arabia, unexpectedly raised its official selling prices for its crude going to Asia in July.
Southeast Asia will be a hotbed for upstream mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the next two years, with more than $5 billion of assets up for grabs, Rystad Energy research shows. The bulk of these opportunities are in Indonesia, where upwards of $2 billion of assets are on the market, followed by Malaysia and Vietnam which have approximately $1.4 billion and $1 billion for sale respectively.
Europe is on track to import this month the highest volumes of diesel from the Middle East and Asia in seven years as the EU turns to alternative supply after the ban on imports of Russian diesel and other fuels took effect on February 5.