Oil prices slump on worries of more supply from Libya, Saudi Arabia

Oil prices fell sharply Thursday on indications on additional supply from both Saudi Arabia and Libya, overriding increased tensions in the Middle East.

At 09:15 ET (13:15 GMT), Brent oil futures fell 3.2% to $70.58 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 3.5% to $67.22 a barrel. Libya makes progress towards resuming production

Oil prices have retreated after reports said that delegates from Libya’s east and west factions had agreed over the process of appointing a new central bank governor - a move that is expected to resolve a crisis that saw most of the country’s oil production shut down. 

Production disruptions in the country had taken at least 1 million barrels per day of production offline, with any resumption in production likely to herald less tight markets. 

Additionally, the Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, is preparing to abandon its unofficial price target of $100 a barrel for crude as it prepares to increase output.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which is traditionally lead by the Sauids, along with the group's allies including Russia, together known as OPEC+, have been cutting oil output to support prices.

The group announced earlier in the year that it will gradually phase out the additional cuts of 2.2 million bpd over the course of a year from October 2024 to September 2025. US inventories shrink more than expected

News of potentially more supply hitting the market has overshadowed increased tensions in the Middle East, as Israel kept up its offensive against Hamas and Hezbollah, increasing the risk of a hit to supply from this oil-rich region..

Additionally, data released Wednesday showed a substantially bigger-than-expected, 4.47 million barrel (mb) draw in U.S. inventories .

Gasoline and distillate inventories also shrank, indicating that U.S. demand remained strong.

The draw came amid some disruptions in U.S. oil production, especially due to adverse weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Production in the region was taken offline due to a hurricane earlier in September, and is expected to face further disruptions as Hurricane Helene passes through the Gulf this week.

Still, prices were sitting on strong gains this week, especially after top importer China announced a string of stimulus measures aimed at shoring up growth. U.S. oil inventories also shrank more than expected, presenting a tight outlook for markets. 

(Ambar Warrick contributed to this article.)

Source: Investing.com