Oil Prices Up On Weaker Dollar, Declining Production

One hundred and nineteen years to the day after the first Boston marathon, and oil markets are running higher once more. Looking beyond Doha disappointments, the market is finding solace in current supply outages, while hoping to see market balancing picking up pace going forward. Hark, here are five things to consider in oil markets today:

1) Currency moves are being thoroughly supportive for the crude complex today, with the yen moving to a near-18 month high versus the U.S. dollar. Commodity currencies such as the Aussie and Kiwi dollars have soared to 10-month highs, as risk appetite chomps at the bit and global equity markets push to new highs for the year.

The Canadian dollar has also rebounded to a nine-month high, as the attractiveness of the U.S. dollar wanes amid the lesser need for a safe haven. Given the flip-flop, see-saw inverse relationship betwixt crude and the dollar, the dollar heads lower….and crude looks up. Related: Horizontal Land Rig Count Summary 15th April 2016

2) All is fairly sparse on the economic data front again today. The key release of note overnight has been from Europe, relating to ZEW sentiment data. While current conditions for Germany were below consensus, the six-month economic outlook for both Germany and the Eurozone were better than expectations; Germany reached a four-month high, the Eurozone saw the best showing in three.

In the U.S., we have had building permits and housing starts, both of which were below expectations.

3) As the dust settles post-Doha, a piece from Reuters suggests we should look to Latin America to rebalance the market via falling output. Digging into our ClipperData, production losses are already manifesting themselves in lower exports for Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia.

Venezuelan production was seen down 11.9 percent in Q1 versus year-ago levels, according to OPEC data. Our ClipperData show exports dropped….by 11.8 percent. On the aggregate, the three Latin American nations saw Q1 crude exports down 13 percent versus year-ago levels. Production losses are underway, and should continue given aging oil fields and the ongoing lack of investment (Venezuela, Mexico) and lower drilling activity (Colombia). Related: Where Is The LNG Glut Going?

4) Rumors continue to spread about current Iranian crude exports, and future expectations for production. Today’s rumor has come from deputy minister Rokneddin Javadi, who has said Iran’s production will reach pre-sanction levels by late June – a level close to 4 million barrels per day. According to Javadi, production is already up to 3.5 million bpd; last week’s OPEC report pegged March production at 3.29 million bpd.

5) While I was affirming the aforementioned Iranian production number from the OPEC report, I was distracted by the below chart. Related: Saudi Arabia Kills Doha Deal, Talks Fall Apart

We discussed last week how the OPEC report showed Indian oil demand growth looking robust, while we continue to see in our ClipperData that Chinese waterborne crude imports are blowing the doors off last year’s numbers, currently up 4 percent year-to-date (and up a scorching 14 percent so far in April versus year-ago levels).

The Middle East is also continuing to be a sponge to soak up oversupply in the market. The region saw oil demand growth of 200,000 bpd last year, in large part driven by Saudi Arabia. This year, further demand growth of 150,000 bpd is expected.

(Click to enlarge)

By Matt Smith

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

• Forget Doha. The Fundamentals Are Moving In The Right Direction
• ISIS Tries To Sow Chaos In Libya To Scare Oil Workers Away
• Half Of Kuwaiti Oil Production Offline After Massive Strike