By Alex Longley
Crude recovered some of this week’s losses on Friday, with equities paring Thursday’s slump. Still, signs of fear abounded, with oil more volatile than during the financial crisis.
The schism between Moscow and Riyadh is hardening with Russian oil producers planning to ramp up production next month, and no plans for a detente with Saudi Arabia. The kingdom said earlier in the week that it would boost output by more than 25% in April, while it sends a flood of crude to Europe, Russia’s tradition market.
“Demand is falling, refining margins are weakening, Saudi crude oil exports are surging: the super-contango is back,” Petromatrix Managing Director Olivier Jakob wrote in a report. “It will be difficult for Saudi Arabia to regain control of the markets.”
Governments and central banks have so far been powerless to stem the coronavirus-driven rout that’s reverberating through financial markets and threatening a global recession. Trump has yet to offer a detailed economic rescue package, while the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged, although it took steps to boost liquidity.
In the U.S., several independent oil companies have already announced plans to scale back operations amid the flood of cheap crude. The American industry is also encouraging the Trump administration to waive a law that mandates only domestic vessels can be used to transport goods between U.S. ports.
Prices |
---|
|
Share This:
Canada’s Advantage as the World’s Demand for Plastic Continues to Grow