WTI rises above $57.50, continues recovery despite concerns over rising global supply
- WTI price advances even as global supply concerns mount after OPEC+ moves to accelerate production hikes.
- The OPEC+ has pledged an additional 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) increase for June.
- Oil prices remain vulnerable due to recession worries and sluggish demand for refined fuel imports.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude Oil price continues to recover during Asian trading on Tuesday, hovering around $57.60 per barrel after a nearly 2% decline on Monday. However, gains were capped by concerns over rising global supply following an OPEC+ decision to accelerate output increases.
Last week, OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, agreed to ramp up production for a second straight month, announcing an additional 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) increase for June. This increase, contributed by eight members including Russia, brings the combined rise for April, May, and June to 960,000 bpd—effectively reversing 44% of the 2.2 million bpd in cuts implemented since 2022, according to Reuters estimates.
Sources within the group told Reuters that OPEC+ could fully reverse its voluntary cuts by the end of October if compliance with output quotas does not improve. Saudi Arabia is reportedly pressuring the group to accelerate the rollback of cuts to penalize Iraq and Kazakhstan for their repeated failure to meet agreed production targets.
David Wech, chief economist at energy analytics firm Vortexa, told Reuters that recession fears and soft demand for refined fuel imports are also dragging on Oil prices. Wech noted that since mid-February, global crude inventories have increased by roughly 150 million barrels, stored both in onshore tanks and aboard tankers at sea.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.