By Administrator_India
Oil prices settled higher on Monday, as OPEC+ producers almost fully complied in July with their global production cut accord, and after U.S. officials said China is in compliance with the first phase of the two nations’ trade deal.
Brent crude settled up 57 cents, or 1.3%, to $45.87 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 88 cents, or 2.1 %, to $42.41 a barrel.
Compliance with OPEC+ oil output cuts is seen at around 97% in July, two OPEC+ sources told Reuters. The oil-producing nations have been cutting output by record levels to curb supply and reduce worldwide inventories.
China is living up to its end of the trade deal the two parties signed in January, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday, even though the nation has fallen short so far of promised purchases of U.S. products.
Chinese state-owned oil firms have tentatively booked tankers to transport at least 20 million barrels of U.S. crude for August and September.
Investors are waiting on Wednesday’s ministerial OPEC+ committee, known as the JMMC, that will review compliance with the global oil supply reduction pact, although no change in the agreement is expected.
In August, the OPEC eased its agreed cuts to 7.7 million barrels per day from 9.7 million bpd previously. Later-dated Brent futures contracts suggest traders see inventories remaining high in coming months due to weakened demand.
Last week the U.S. Energy Information Administration adjusted global oil demand downward, suggesting a smaller than previously expected reduction in global inventories.
