Oil prices log lowest finish in a week as constrained supplies come back on line

 

Crude-oil futures finished Monday at their lowest price in a week, with production in Libya, Norway and the Gulf of Mexico set to recover.

Libya lifted force majeure at its largest oil field, producers began restoring output in the Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Delta, and crude output in Norway looked to recover following the end of an oil-worker strike reported MarketWatch.

West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery fell $1.17, or 2.9%, to settle at $39.43 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. December Brent crude lost $1.13, or 2.6%, at $41.72 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe.

Front-month WTI, the U.S. benchmark, and global benchmark Brent on Monday both marked their lowest settlements since Oct. 5, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

With the passing of the hurricane and the resolution of the strike in Norway, “investors are more concerned about the higher output in the face of subdued demand,” said Mihir Kapadia, chief executive of Sun Global Investments, in emailed comments. “However, more disruptions in the Gulf are likely in the coming weeks as the hurricane season continues. This could see prices increase again as workers will be expected to halt production during this time. ”

Hurricane Delta hit Louisiana as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of over 100 miles an hour on Friday. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimated Monday that 69.4% of oil output in the Gulf of Mexico remained shut in due to the storm, along with 47.1% of natural-gas production. That’s a big improvement from Sunday, when 91.01% of oil output and 62.15% of natural-gas production were shut in.

Source: MarketWatch