Oil prices slumped up to nearly 8% to the lowest in more than a year on Friday, posting the seventh consecutive weekly loss, amid intensifying fears of a supply glut even as major producers consider cutting output. Oil supply, led by U.S. producers, is growing faster than demand and to prevent a build-up of unused fuel such as the one that emerged in 2015, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is expected to start trimming output after a meeting on Dec. 6.
Crude prices hit their lowest level since 2017 on Tuesday, sliding further into a bear market after President Donald Trump signaled the US would not punish Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, over the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate.
Premier Oil said it expected full-year production to come in at the low end of a previously announced 80,000 to 85,000 barrels per day range. The company, with interests in the Falkland Islands and which has been focusing on cutting debts, also said its debt pile would shrink to US$ 2.4 billion by the year-end.
Argentina's energy company YPF said on Monday its 2018 hydrocarbon production likely will fall by 3% to 4% on the year, more than previously expected, as low natural gas demand forces it to close wells and shift its focus to Vaca Muerta shale oil.
They call it production adjustments, but in reality most major oil extracting countries agreed Sunday new strategies regarding crude output were needed in light of the surplus accrued over the past few months.
Fuel retailer Axion cut down its prices by 3.2% in Argentina, in line with declines of both the US dollar exchange rate and the international oil barrell, it was reported Saturday. Other companies are expected to follow suit shortly.
Oil markets on Friday remained weak as rising supply and concerns of an economic slowdown pressured prices, with U.S. crude now down by 20% since early October. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at US$ 61.63 per barrel.
The U.S. decision to review its tariffs on Argentine biodiesel could mean a reversal of fortune for exporters whose shipments from South America have been practically nil, the biodiesel chamber of Argentina said on Thursday.
Argentina has launched its first offshore bidding round in nearly three decades. The country's energy secretariat published details regarding bidding terms and conditions for public bidding for exploration licenses.
Oil prices slipped on Wednesday, continuing a recent slide after surging U.S. crude output hit another record and domestic inventories rose more than expected. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said domestic crude inventories rose 5.8 million barrels in the latest week, more than double analysts’ expectations.