Oil prices climb towards $80

BABATUNDE SCOTT |

Oil prices rose on Monday as U.S. drilling for new production stalled and as the market eyed tighter conditions once Washington’s sanctions against Iran’s crude exports kick in from November.

Brent crude futures climbed to 77.33 dollars a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at 68.19 dollars per barrel from their last settlement.

The U.S. rig count has stagnated since May, after staging a recovery since 2016, which followed a steep slump the previous year amid plummeting crude prices.

Outside the U.S., new U.S. sanctions against Iran’s crude exports from November were helping push up prices.

Energy consultancy FGE said several major Iran customers like India, Japan and South Korea were already cutting back on Iran crude.

“Governments can talk tough. They can say they are going to stand up to Trump and/or push for waivers. But generally the companies we speak to … say they won’t risk it,” FGE said.

“U.S. financial penalties and the loss of shipping insurance scares everyone,” it said in a note to clients.

With U.S. rig activity stalling and Iran sanctions looming, the oil market outlook is tightening.

“Investors have largely turned positive again … likely welcoming the return of backwardation,” said Edward Bell, commodity analyst at Emirates NBD bank.

While Washington exerts pressure on other countries to fall into line and also cut imports from Iran, it is also urging other major producers to raise their output in order not to create too strong a price spike.

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will meet counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Russia on Monday and Thursday, respectively, as Trump administration seek world’s biggest exporter and producer to boost output.

One key question going forward is how demand develops amid the trade dispute between the United States and China, as well as general emerging market weakness.

Asian shares started the week in the red on Monday, faltering for the eighth straight day as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened yet more import tariffs on Chinese goods.

Consultancy FGE warned that “trade wars, and especially rising interest rates, can spell trouble for the emerging markets that drive (oil) demand growth.”

In spite of this, FGE said the likelihood of significantly weaker oil prices was relatively low as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would withhold output to prevent prices from plunging.,