Oil Extends Declines on Rate Hike Concerns

A view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery (foreground), which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, and storage tanks for refined petroleum products at the Kinder Morgan Carson Terminal (background), at sunset in Carson, California, US, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan
A view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery (foreground), which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, and storage tanks for refined petroleum products at the Kinder Morgan Carson Terminal (background), at sunset in Carson, California, US, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan
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Oil Extends Declines on Rate Hike Concerns

A view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery (foreground), which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, and storage tanks for refined petroleum products at the Kinder Morgan Carson Terminal (background), at sunset in Carson, California, US, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan
A view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery (foreground), which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, and storage tanks for refined petroleum products at the Kinder Morgan Carson Terminal (background), at sunset in Carson, California, US, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan

Oil prices fell for a second straight session on Wednesday, driven by fears that more aggressive US interest rate hikes would hit demand, while the market awaited further clarity on inventories.

Brent crude futures dipped 22 cents, or 0.3%, to $83.07 per barrel by 0730 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures slid 34 cents, or 0.4%, to $77.24 a barrel.

Both Brent and WTI fell by more than 3% on Tuesday after comments by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that the central bank would likely need to raise interest rates more than expected in response to recent strong data, Reuters reported.

"Fed Chair Powell's comments on 'higher for longer' rates spooked markets and sent risk assets, including commodities, sharply down overnight," said Tina Teng, an analyst at CMC Markets.

A short rebound in oil earlier on Wednesday, before a reversal, was probably due to short-seller taking profit "as nothing has changed fundamentally," Teng said.

Traders were also awaiting crude inventory data from the US Energy Information Administration later on Wednesday, after the API data showed a decline in crude inventories for the first time after a 10-week build, she said.

Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed US crude inventories fell by about 3.8 million barrels in the week ended March 3, according to market sources.

The drawdown defied forecasts for a 400,000 barrel rise in crude stocks from nine analysts polled by Reuters.

Meanwhile, gasoline inventories rose by about 1.8 million barrels, while distillate stocks rose by about 1.9 million barrels, according to the sources.

A stronger dollar also capped a lid on oil prices. Powell's comments had propelled the US dollar, which typically trades inversely with oil, to hit a three-month high against a basket of currencies.

The dollar index USD rose as high as 105.65, up 1.3% on Tuesday and the highest since Dec. 6.



Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with US Envoy to Syria

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with US Special Envoy for Syria - SPA
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with US Special Envoy for Syria - SPA
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Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with US Envoy to Syria

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with US Special Envoy for Syria - SPA
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with US Special Envoy for Syria - SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met with US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in Riyadh on Thursday, SPA reported.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to support the Syria to enhance its security, stability, and economic recovery.