Oil recoups losses as OPEC, US Fed see robust economy

Oil prices reversed early losses yesterday after OPEC said it saw no signs of global recession and rival US shale oil production could grow by much less than expected in 2020. Also supporting prices were comments by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said the US economy would see a “sustained expansion” with the full impact of recent interest rate cuts still to be felt.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 stood roughly flat at around $62 per barrel by 1450 GMT, having fallen by over 1pc earlier in the day. US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $56 per barrel, up 20 cents or 0.4pc. “The baseline outlook remains favourable,” Powell said.

The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Mohammad Barkindo, said global economic fundamentals remained strong and that he was still confident the United States and China would reach a trade deal. “It will almost remove that dark cloud that had engulfed the global economy,” Barkindo said, adding it was too early to discuss the output policy of OPEC’s December meeting.

He also said some US companies were now saying US oil production would grow by just 0.3-0.4 million barrels per day next year - or less than half of previous expectations - reducing the risk of an oil glut next year. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Washington and Beijing were close to finalizing a trade deal, but he fell short of providing a date or venue for the signing ceremony.

In the United States, crude oil inventories were forecast to have risen for a third straight week last week, while refined products inventories likely declined, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.