West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $59.35 during the Asian trading hours on Monday. The WTI attracts some sellers following signs that activity had resumed at the key Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. Traders await the release of the American Petroleum Institute (API) weekly crude oil stock report later on Tuesday.
Russia’s Novorossiysk port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a Ukrainian strike last week led to some damage and a suspension of operations for two days. Russian crude oil shipments via Novorossiysk’s Sheskharis terminal totalled 3.22 million tonnes, or 761,000 barrels a day, in October, according to industry sources. A total of 1.794 million tonnes of oil products were exported through Novorossiysk in October, the sources said. The resumption of operations eases concerns about a disrupted oil supply and weighs on the WTI price.
The end of the US government shutdown and the restoration of federal workers’ pay were expected to boost economic activity and demand for oil in the world’s largest crude consumer. However, traders are concerned that the resumption of US economic data will show job market weakness and a potential slowdown. This could prompt the Federal Reserve (Fed) to reduce interest rates in December. Lower interest rates generally weaken the US Dollar (USD) as it makes oil cheaper for foreign buyers, boosting global demand and lifting WTI prices.
WTI Oil FAQs
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.
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.
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.
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.
