• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 5 hours GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 7 days If hydrogen is the answer, you're asking the wrong question
  • 23 hours How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 11 days Biden's $2 trillion Plan for Insfrastructure and Jobs
Irina Slav

Irina Slav

Irina is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry.

More Info

Premium Content

Oil Prices Extend Losses After EIA Inventory Data Release

Cushing

Crude oil prices fell today, even after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported inventories of oil had shed 3.7 million barrels over the week to November 18.

This compared with a decline of 5.4 million barrels for the previous week and an estimated draw of 4.8 million barrels reported by the American petroleum Institute for the week to November 18.

Amid the latest slump in oil prices triggered by expectations of sluggish demand growth in China prompted by another flare-up of Covid, the EIA said that at 431.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories were 5 percent below the five-year seasonal average.

At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $85.10 a barrel, down by more than 3.5 percent and West Texas Intermediate was down by close to 4 percent, at $77.87 a barrel as bearish factors weighed prices down.

In fuels, the picture was different, with both gasoline and diesel stocks rising.

In gasoline, the EIA estimated an inventory build of 3.1 million barrels in the week to November 18, which compared with a build of 2.2 million barrels estimated for the previous week.

Gasoline production averaged 9.2 million barrels daily last week, which compared with 9.8 million barrels daily for the previous week.

In middle distillates, the EIA reported an inventory increase of 1.7 million barrels, with production averaging 5.1 million barrels daily.

This compared with an inventory build of 1.1 million barrels for the previous week and a production rate of 5.1 million bpd.

Oil prices had steadied earlier this week, as fears about the effect China’s latest Covid flare-up would have on demand was largely offset by concern about oil supply ahead of the EU embargo on Russian crude. The embargo also includes punitive measures for third parties buying Russian oil unless they are buying it at a capped price set by the EU and G7.

Today, however, fears about Chinese demand ignited another decline in prices.

Meanwhile, the diesel shortage looming over the global economy is creeping nearer, with prices up by 50 percent on the U.S. spot market since the start of the year but higher across the world, too. In the United States alone, the impact of the diesel shortage could reach $100 billion, according to a Rice University researcher.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


Download The Free Oilprice App Today

Back to homepage





Leave a comment
  • George Doolittle on November 23 2022 said:
    Putin continues to expand *HIS* World War 3 to now include Moldova plus presumably a final call up of reserves all of whom will be posting up against battle hardened Ukraine War veterans now armed to the teeth and waiting....indeed not waiting but continuing to launch counter-offensives to include further counter attacks.

    Given the enormity of the defeats suffered by Russia already certain levels of panic once reserved to crazy insane tech names and Bitcoin are now starting to spill over into commodities and hard assets. Hardly a Christmas truce for anyone very sad but of course not unexpected in the least.

Leave a comment




EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News