Saudi Arabia to Increase Oil Output in July to Record Rate

An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
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Saudi Arabia to Increase Oil Output in July to Record Rate

An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

State oil company Saudi Aramco is aiming to boost production next month to about 10.8 million barrels a day, the people said, asking not be named discussing confidential information. That would surpass the previous high of 10.72 million barrels a day in November 2016.

OPEC and other producers, Russia in the lead, stroke a deal on Saturday to increase the output after being urged by consuming states, including US, to increase product. Saudi Arabia said that the agreement will result in an increase of around one million barrel per day, or 1 percent of the global crude supplies.

It seems clear that Riyadh has been preparing for raising the output in the beginning of this month, based on what has been stated by Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih in Vienna on Saturday when he said that Aramco received instructions to get ready to raise output.

Despite the deal, the US seems unsatisfied with the raise in which United States Secretary of Energy Richard Perry notified journalists on Monday that he sees the reached deal by OPEC and oil producing states in the beginning of the week might not be sufficient to alleviate pressures on the global oil markets resulting from supplies obstacles.

Perry stated that this deal might be a bit less than what the market needs.

The lion's share of the oil production increases agreed to by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producers will come from Saudi Arabia and its exports likely will be biased toward light crude, Energy Aspects said in a note on Monday.

Saudi Arabia and Russia to compensate for any additional future supply declines elsewhere, adding up to another 400,000 bpd.

Saudi Arabia's production is expected to average about 10.5 million bpd in Q3, with some months possibly averaging close to record highs above 10.6 million bpd.



Oil Prices Stable on Monday as Data Offsets Surplus Concerns

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Stable on Monday as Data Offsets Surplus Concerns

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices stabilized on Monday after losses last week as lower-than-expected US inflation data offset investors' concerns about a supply surplus next year.

Brent crude futures were down by 38 cents, or 0.52%, to $72.56 a barrel by 1300 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 34 cents, or 0.49%, to $69.12 per barrel.

Oil prices rose in early trading after data on Friday that showed cooling US inflation helped alleviate investors' concerns after the Federal Reserve interest rate cut last week, IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore said, Reuters reported.

"I think the US Senate passing legislation to end the brief shutdown over the weekend has helped," he added.

But gains were reversed by a stronger US dollar, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo told Reuters.

"With the US dollar changing from weaker to stronger, oil prices have given up earlier gains," he said.

The dollar was hovering around two-year highs on Monday morning, after hitting that milestone on Friday.

Brent futures fell by around 2.1% last week, while WTI futures lost 2.6%, on concerns about global economic growth and oil demand after the US central bank signalled caution over further easing of monetary policy. Research from Asia's top refiner Sinopec pointing to China's oil consumption peaking in 2027 also weighed on prices.

Macquarie analysts projected a growing supply surplus for next year, which will hold Brent prices to an average of $70.50 a barrel, down from this year's average of $79.64, they said in a December report.

Concerns about European supply eased on reports the Druzhba pipeline, which sends Russian and Kazakh oil to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany, has restarted after halting on Thursday due to technical problems at a Russian pumping station.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday urged the European Union to increase US oil and gas imports or face tariffs on the bloc's exports.

Trump also threatened to reassert US control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.