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."



Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities

Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities
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Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities

Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources opened o Wednesday the bidding for seven new exploration licenses.

According to the ministry, the total area covered by the new licenses is close to 1,000 square kilometers.

The step is part of the ministry's Accelerated Exploration Program initiative, which aims to expedite the exploration and development of the Kingdom's estimated SAR9.3 trillion worth of mineral resources, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 objective of making the mining sector the third pillar of the national industry.

The seven sites for which it will grant exploration licenses contain a variety of precious and base metals; among them are Umm Qasir, in the Riyadh region, with gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits spread over 20 square kilometers, and Jabal Sabha, in Riyadh, with silver, lead, zinc, and cobalt reserves spread over 171 square kilometers.

In Aseer, Wadi Ad Dawsh contains gold, silver, and copper deposits in an area of 157.7 square kilometers. Shaib Marqan in Riyadh spans 92 square kilometers and holds gold, silver, and copper.

Wadi Al Junah in Aseer extends over 425.37 square kilometers and is a source of copper, silver, zinc, and gold. Hazm Shubat, also in Aseer, covers 93.47 square kilometers and contains gold, and Huwaymidan, in Makkah, encompasses 34 square kilometers and contains gold.

The ministry set early September 2024 as the final deadline for submitting proposals for the exploration license bids. A transparent and fair evaluation process will assess factors such as work programs, technical capabilities, social impact plans, and innovative initiatives, with 70% weight on technical aspects and 30% on community contributions.

To support exploration, the ministry has introduced new incentives, in collaboration with the Saudi Investment Ministry, including up to SAR7.5 million in funding for companies having exploration licenses less than five years old, in addition to the existing mining investment incentives like 100% foreign ownership and up to 75% capital expenditure financing.

Interested investors can visit the Ta'adeen platform to access information and technical data for the seven new sites.