Oil posts third straight week of gains on Covid-19 vaccine optimism
Oil prices firmed on Friday, and posted their third consecutive weekly rise, buoyed by successful COVID-19 vaccine trials. But renewed lockdowns in several countries to limit the spread of the virus capped gains.
Prospects for effective COVID-19 vaccines and hopes OPEC and its allies will keep production in check have bolstered oil markets this week.
Brent crude futures were up 59 cents, or 1.3%, at $44.79 per barrel. The WTI contract for December, which expires on Friday, settled 41 cents, or 0.98%, higher at $42.15 per barrel.
Both benchmarks are up more than 4% so far this week.
Prices also found support from expectations the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers - a group known as OPEC+ - will delay a planned production increase.
The group, which meets on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, is looking at options to delay by at least three months from January the tapering of their 7.7 million barrel per day (bpd) cuts by around 2 million bpd.
“An assumed roll-over of current cuts by OPEC+ to Q1 2021 is probably in today’s price of $44/barrel,” Nordic bank SEB said.
Oil prices were getting some support from signs of movement on a stimulus deal in Washington after U.S. Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to resume discussions on providing more COVID-19 relief as cases surge across the United States.
Oversupply concerns, however, continue to weigh as Libya has raised production to pre-blockade levels of 1.25 million bpd.
Reference: CNBC
Thai
Eng