Oil prices edge higher

Business
Oil prices edge higher
Oil prices  edged higher on Wednesday, supported by a fall in US inventories and  Mideast geopolitical tensions, but the increasing spread of the  coronavirus Delta variant in top consuming countries capped gains.

Brent  crude oil futures were up 33 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $72.74 a barrel  by 0815 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 16 cents, or  0.2 per cent, to $70.72 a barrel.

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"[Oil] bulls have drawn support  from US inventory dynamics, with commercial stocks falling to their  lowest since January 2020 and indications that the tightening is set to  continue," oil brokerage PVM said.

US crude inventories fell by  879,000 barrels for the week ended July 30, according to two market  sources, citing American Petroleum Institute figures.

Gasoline  inventories fell by 5.8 million barrels and distillate stocks fell by  717,000 barrels, the data showed, according to the sources, who spoke on  condition of anonymity. Tensions in the Mideast Gulf also lent prices some support.

On  Tuesday, three maritime security sources clamed Iranian-backed forces  seized an oil product tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates,  though Iran denied the reports.

This is the second attack on a  tanker since Friday in the region, which includes the Strait of Hormuz.  The UK and the US are also blaming Iran for the earlier incident, in  which drones crashed into the vessel and killed two sailors.

Both  futures contracts fell on Tuesday to their lowest since July 21 before  regaining some ground by the close, weighed down by the virus spread.

"Worries  continue to grow over the spread of the Delta variant in China, which  has weighed heavily on oil prices in recent days," bank ING said.

The  United States and China, the world's two biggest oil consumers, are  grappling with rapidly spreading outbreaks of the highly contagious  Delta variant that analysts fear will limit fuel demand at a time when  it traditionally rises in both countries.

In China, the spread of  the variant from the coast to inland cities has prompted authorities to  impose strict measures to bring the outbreak under control.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
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