Oil up again on easing restriction in US and parts of Europe

London — Oil prices rose for a third day on Wednesday as easing of lockdowns in the US and parts of Europe heralded a boost in fuel demand in the summer season and offset concerns about the rise of Covid-19 infections in India and Japan.

Brent crude rose 93c, or 1.4%, to $69.81 a barrel at 10.08am GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 85c, or 1.3%, to $66.54 a barrel.

Both contracts hit the highest level since mid-March in intraday trade.

“A return to $70 oil is edging closer to becoming reality,” said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM. “The jump in oil prices came amid expectations of strong demand as Western economies reopen. Indeed, anticipation of a pick-up in fuel and energy usage in the US and Europe over the summer months is running high.” 

Crude prices were also supported by a large fall in US inventories.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported crude stockpiles fell by 7.7-million barrels in the week ended April 30, according to two market sources. That was more than triple the drawdown expected by analysts polled by Reuters. Petrol stockpiles fell by 5.3-million barrels.

Traders are awaiting data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) due at 2.30pm GMT on Wednesday to see if official data shows such a large fall.

“If confirmed by the EIA, it would mark the largest weekly fall in the official data since late January,” Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

The rise in oil prices to nearly two-month highs has been supported by Covid-19 vaccine rollouts in the US and Europe.

Eurozone business activity accelerated in April as the bloc’s dominant services industry shrugged off renewed lockdowns and returned to growth.

“The partial lifting of mobility restrictions, the expectation that tourism will return in the near future, and the lure of the psychologically important $70 mark are all likely to have contributed to the price rise,” Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said.

This has offset a drop in fuel demand in India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, which is battling a surge in Covid-19.

“However, if we were to eventually see a national lockdown imposed, this would likely hit sentiment,” ING Economics analysts said of the situation in India.

Reuters