Saudi Oil Exports Record 5-Month Low in April

The Ras Tanura port. (Aramco)
The Ras Tanura port. (Aramco)
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Saudi Oil Exports Record 5-Month Low in April

The Ras Tanura port. (Aramco)
The Ras Tanura port. (Aramco)

The Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) data showed Monday that Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports fell in April to their lowest level in five months.

The Kingdom's exports fell three percent to 7.316 million barrels per day (bpd) from 7.523 million bpd in March.

Riyadh and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) provide monthly export figures to JODI, which publishes them on its website.

Saudi crude production was stable at 10.46 million bpd in April, while inventories rose by 1.98 million barrels to 149.4 million.

Domestic refineries refined 2.69 million bpd, down 42,000 bpd despite an increase in refined product exports by 75,000 barrels per day to 1.547 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia pledged this month to make a significant production cut in July, on top of a broader OPEC+ deal to limit supply in 2024, and raised the prices of its Arab Light crude oil to Asian buyers in July to a six-month high.

As a result, Asian refiners will likely buy less Saudi oil in July than more cargoes, such as those from the UAE, in spot deals.

Meanwhile, the oil prices fell as questions over China's economy overweighed OPEC+ output cuts and the seventh drop in the number of oil and gas rigs in the US.

Several large banks cut their forecast for China's GDP 2023 growth after May data published last week showed that the post-Covid-19 recovery in the world's second-largest economy was faltering.

However, China's refinery consumption rose in May to the second-highest level on record, helping to boost last week's gains.

US energy companies reduced the number of operating oil and natural gas rigs for the seventh week in a row for the first time since July 2020.

The number of oil and gas rigs, an early indicator of future output, fell by 8 to 687 in the week ending June 16, the lowest level since April 2022.

Meanwhile, Brent crude settled down 48 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $76.13 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 49 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $71.29. Trading volumes were thin due to a US holiday.



Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
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Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Gold prices breached the crucial $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fueled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors rushing toward safe-haven assets.
Spot gold was up 0.6% at $3,192.79 an ounce, as of 0555 GMT. Bullion scaled an all-time peak of $3,219.84 earlier in the session, and has gained around 5% this week.
US gold futures climbed nearly 2% to $3,237.50, Reuters reported.
"The rapid weakening of the US dollar seems to be the main driver of gold's rebound at the moment. That seems to reflect an ongoing exodus from USD-based assets, with stocks and bonds' selloff amid tariff policy uncertainty," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.
The dollar was down nearly 1% against its major peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers. Major stock indexes also fell after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, but hit a 90-day pause on previously announced tariffs for dozens of countries.
China has been matching Trump's tariff hikes, sparking fears that Beijing could push duties on the US beyond the current 84%.
"$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at. I suspect we won't get there immediately or without bumps along the way," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Apart from tariffs, central bank demand, expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds also fueled the metal's rally this year.
US consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March but inflation risks are tilted to the upside, data showed.
Traders now bet that the Fed will resume cutting rates in June and probably reduce by a full percentage point by the end of 2025.
Spot silver was steady at $31.2 an ounce, while platinum eased 0.2% to $936.55. Palladium gained 0.7% to $914.55.