WTI Oil Slips as Fuel Stockpiles Gain Amid Weaker Demand
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West Texas Intermediate crude fell
for the sixth time in seven days after a government report
showed that U.S. gasoline supplies gained as demand slipped.
Gasoline inventories climbed for a fourth week while stockpiles of distillate fuel, a category that includes diesel and heating oil, rose to a 10-month high, according to the Energy Information Administration. Gasoline use fell 0.5 percent to an average 8.95 million barrels a day in the past four weeks, the least since May. WTI rose earlier after a Commerce Department report showed the U.S. economy rebounded more than forecast in the second quarter.
“The market is struggling because the fuel demand outlook is weak despite the strong economy,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy. “The reality is that gasoline consumption should drop further as the summer comes to an end and we get into a quiet period for demand.”
WTI for September delivery slipped 31 cents to $100.66 a barrel at 11:54 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures traded at $101.44 before the release of the EIA report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington. The volume of all futures traded was 7.7 percent below the 100-day average.
Gasoline for August delivery dropped 1.51 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $2.8558 a gallon on the Nymex. Ultra low sulfur diesel for August delivery declined 1.01 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $2.8966. The pump price fell 0.2 cent to $3.513 a gallon nationwide yesterday, the lowest since March 13, according to AAA, the largest U.S. motoring group.
Refineries operated at 93.5 percent of capacity, down 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. Operating rates have peaked in July during the past five years when gasoline demand climbs as Americans take summer vacations. Refiners schedule maintenance for September and October as they transition to winter from summer fuels.
Crude stockpiles fell 3.7 million barrels to 367.4 million in the week ended July 25, according to the EIA. A 1.25 million-barrel decline was projected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Supplies at Cushing, Oklahoma, fell by 924,000 barrels to 17.9 million last week. The decline left stockpiles at the lowest level since October 2008, according to the EIA, the Energy Department’s statistical unit.
Gains in consumer spending and business investment helped bolster the U.S. economy in the last quarter following a slump in the prior three months that was smaller than previously estimated.
The median forecast of 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 3 percent advance. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, rose 2.5 percent, reflecting the biggest gain in purchases of durable goods such as autos in almost five years. The first-quarter reading was revised up from a previously reported 2.9 percent drop.
“The U.S. economic data is a positive signal,” said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York. “It could be a sign of increased demand.”
Brent for September settlement slipped 68 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $107.04 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 9 percent lower than the 100-day average. The European benchmark crude traded at a $6.38 premium to WTI on ICE. The spread closed at $6.75 yesterday, the widest since July 4.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Shenk in New York at mshenk1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net Charlotte Porter
Gasoline inventories climbed for a fourth week while stockpiles of distillate fuel, a category that includes diesel and heating oil, rose to a 10-month high, according to the Energy Information Administration. Gasoline use fell 0.5 percent to an average 8.95 million barrels a day in the past four weeks, the least since May. WTI rose earlier after a Commerce Department report showed the U.S. economy rebounded more than forecast in the second quarter.
“The market is struggling because the fuel demand outlook is weak despite the strong economy,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy. “The reality is that gasoline consumption should drop further as the summer comes to an end and we get into a quiet period for demand.”
WTI for September delivery slipped 31 cents to $100.66 a barrel at 11:54 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures traded at $101.44 before the release of the EIA report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington. The volume of all futures traded was 7.7 percent below the 100-day average.
Gasoline for August delivery dropped 1.51 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $2.8558 a gallon on the Nymex. Ultra low sulfur diesel for August delivery declined 1.01 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $2.8966. The pump price fell 0.2 cent to $3.513 a gallon nationwide yesterday, the lowest since March 13, according to AAA, the largest U.S. motoring group.
Fuel Stockpiles
Inventories of gasoline increased 365,000 barrels to 218.2 million, the highest level since March 14, the report showed. Supplies were projected to rise by 1 million barrels, according to the median of 10 analyst estimates in the Bloomberg survey. Distillate stockpiles rose 789,000 barrels to 126.7 million.Refineries operated at 93.5 percent of capacity, down 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. Operating rates have peaked in July during the past five years when gasoline demand climbs as Americans take summer vacations. Refiners schedule maintenance for September and October as they transition to winter from summer fuels.
Crude stockpiles fell 3.7 million barrels to 367.4 million in the week ended July 25, according to the EIA. A 1.25 million-barrel decline was projected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Supplies at Cushing, Oklahoma, fell by 924,000 barrels to 17.9 million last week. The decline left stockpiles at the lowest level since October 2008, according to the EIA, the Energy Department’s statistical unit.
Crude Production
U.S. crude production fell 122,000 barrels a day to 8.443 million. Output has surged this year as a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has unlocked supplies trapped in shale formations, including the Bakken in North Dakota and the Eagle Ford in Texas.Gains in consumer spending and business investment helped bolster the U.S. economy in the last quarter following a slump in the prior three months that was smaller than previously estimated.
The median forecast of 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 3 percent advance. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, rose 2.5 percent, reflecting the biggest gain in purchases of durable goods such as autos in almost five years. The first-quarter reading was revised up from a previously reported 2.9 percent drop.
“The U.S. economic data is a positive signal,” said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York. “It could be a sign of increased demand.”
Russia Sanctions
The European Union agreed yesterday to bar state-owned Russian banks from selling shares or bonds in Europe, restricting the export of equipment to modernize the oil industry and barring the sale of equipment with military uses. The EU acted after pro-Russian separatists continued to impede an investigation into the July 17 downing of a Malaysian airliner by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine.Brent for September settlement slipped 68 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $107.04 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 9 percent lower than the 100-day average. The European benchmark crude traded at a $6.38 premium to WTI on ICE. The spread closed at $6.75 yesterday, the widest since July 4.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Shenk in New York at mshenk1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net Charlotte Porter
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