WTI steadies near $69.50 due to US Oil builds, prospects for Brazilian Oil exports

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West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price halts its three-day winning streak, trading around $69.60 per barrel during the early European hours on Thursday. Crude Oil prices struggle, possibly driven by a surprise build in the United States (US) crude stocks.

WTI struggles as the EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change showed a sharp rise in US crude inventories last week.
Brazil could resume Oil exports to the US after several Oil products were exempted from the previous 10% US tariff.
The US sanctioned over 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and vessels.

US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed US crude inventories jumped by 7.698 million barrels last week, against the expected decline of 2.50 million barrels and the previous 3.169 million barrels. The Oil stock marked the largest increase in six months and defying forecasts for a decline.

Additionally, the price of Oil faces challenges as Reuters cited the head of Brazilian oil lobby group IBP, saying that energy companies are expected to resume Oil exports to the United States after several Oil products were exempted from a 10% April US tariff. However, uncertainty prevails over whether the commodity would be exempt from the new tariffs announced on July 9 led to a halt in shipments for most of the month.

Oil prices may regain their ground due to rising supply concerns, driven by US President Donald Trump’s call for resolving the war in Ukraine by leveraging additional tariffs. Trump threatened on Tuesday that he would impose secondary tariffs of 100% on Russia if it did not make progress on ending the war within 10 to 12 days, moving up from an earlier 50-day deadline.

The US Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions on Wednesday targeting over 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and vessels. This indicates a sign of the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to its "maximum pressure" campaign after bombing Tehran's key nuclear sites in June, per Reuters.

Trump said late Wednesday he would impose a tariff of at least 25% on India’s exports to the US starting Friday. He also criticized India for its continued purchases of Russian energy and weapons, threatening penalties over its imports of Russian crude. Moreover, the US warned China on Tuesday, the largest buyer of Russian Oil, to face huge tariffs if it kept buying Oil from Iran and Russia.

WTI Oil FAQs

What is WTI Oil?

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.

What factors drive the price of WTI Oil?

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.

How does inventory data impact the price of WTI Oil

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.

How does OPEC influence the price of WTI Oil?

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.