Oil Stabilizes Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting

Oil pump jacks are seen at uthe Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Oil pump jacks are seen at uthe Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Oil Stabilizes Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting

Oil pump jacks are seen at uthe Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Oil pump jacks are seen at uthe Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Oil prices held steady on Friday as investors await US inflation data for clues on the demand outlook before turning attention to Sunday's OPEC+ meeting to determine the state of supply into next year.

Brent futures were up 14 cents, or 0.17%, at $82.00 a barrel by 0908 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 4 cents, or 0.05%, at $77.87.

The more liquid August Brent contract was trading at $81.93, up 5 cents from the previous settlement.

Brent futures are on track for a monthly loss of almost 7% after dropping 2% in the previous session on a surprise build in US fuel inventories, Reuters reported.

Higher refinery utilization brought a deeper than expected draw in crude oil stocks in the week to May 24, Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed.

However, gasoline inventories rose by 2 million barrels, against expectations of a 400,000 barrel draw and higher demand ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

In the euro zone, inflation rose by 2.6% in May, Eurostat data showed, beating the 2.5% expected by economists polled by Reuters.

The increase is unlikely to deter the European Central Bank from cutting borrowing costs next week, but it could slow the rate-cutting cycle in the coming months.

The oil market has been under pressure in recent weeks over the prospect of borrowing costs staying higher for longer, which ties down funds and can curb oil demand.

US inflation data is due to be released at 1230 GMT.​

Markets are also awaiting the OPEC+ meeting on Sunday, with the producer group working on a complex deal that would allow it to extend some of its deep oil production cuts into 2025, three sources familiar with OPEC+ discussions said on Thursday.

"The probable extension of the voluntary production cuts by OPEC+ should cause oil prices to rise again," Commerzbank analysts said. "Ultimately, this would threaten a significant undersupply on the oil market in the third quarter."



Oil Prices Tick Up on Sharp Fall in US Crude Inventories

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant
The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant
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Oil Prices Tick Up on Sharp Fall in US Crude Inventories

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant
The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday for the third straight session after government data showed a steep draw in US crude stockpiles, rebounding from multi-month lows touched this week.
Brent crude futures rose 23 cents, or 0.3%, at $78.56 a barrel by 0017 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 29 cents, or 0.4%, to $75.52.
Brent tumbled to its weakest since early January on Monday, and WTI dipped to its lowest since February, hurt by worry over a US recession and a selloff in global stocks.
US crude inventories fell for a sixth week in a row last week, dropping by 3.7 million barrels to 429.3 million barrels last week, government data showed, against analyst expectations in a Reuters poll for a 700,000-barrel draw.
Investors also continued to debate the state of supply as US Energy Information Administration data showed production jumped by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a record 13.4 million bpd in the week ended Aug. 2.
However, the potential for Middle East supply disruptions worried markets after the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah last week raised the possibility of retaliatory strikes by Iran against Israel.
While no supply has been impacted so far, attacks on ships in the Red Sea have forced tankers to take longer routes meaning more oil stays on the water for longer.
Meanwhile, Libya's National Oil Corporation has declared force majeure in its Sharara oilfield from Tuesday, a statement said, adding that the company had gradually reduced the field's production due to protests.