Oil prices edged higher on Friday and were on track for a weekly gain as U.S. oil producers in the Gulf of Mexico cut more than half their output because of a tropical storm and as tensions continued to simmer in the Middle East.
However, an International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast for a global oil surplus capped the gains. The agency on Friday predicted that surging U.S. oil output will outpace sluggish global demand and lead to a large stocks build around the world in the next nine months.
OPEC also predicted on Thursday the return of a surplus next year despite an OPEC-led pact to restrain supplies.
Brent crude futures were up 36 cents at $66.88 a barrel by 1315 GMT after hitting a session high of $67.29.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 6 cents at $60.26 after touching a high of $60.74.
Brent prices have climbed 4.1% this week while WTI has gained 4.9%. Both registered declines last week.
via Reuters
Content is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.