Oil prices slip as demand worries outweigh OPEC supply cuts(Update)

Brent crude futures for September delivery had dropped 33 cents, or 0.5%, to $64.73 a barrel by 0034 GMT. They climbed more than $2 a barrel on Monday before paring gains later in the day. U.S. crude futures for August had fallen 48 cents, or 0.8%, to $58.61 a barrel, after touching their highest in over five weeks on Monday.

SINGAPORE: Oil prices slipped on Tuesday as worries that a weakening global economy would dent demand for the commodity outweighed OPEC's decision to extend supply cuts until next March.

Brent crude futures for September delivery had dropped 33 cents, or 0.5%, to $64.73 a barrel by 0034 GMT. They climbed more than $2 a barrel on Monday before paring gains later in the day.

U.S. crude futures for August had fallen 48 cents, or 0.8%, to $58.61 a barrel, after touching their highest in over five weeks on Monday.

"After 2-1/2 years of production cuts, the effects of rolling over production cuts is losing steam," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA in New York, adding that markets remained nervous on how demand will pan out over the next few months.

"The trade war is not likely to get resolved any time soon and while central banks globally are expected to deliver fresh stimulus in the coming months, economic activity is continuing to trend lower."

The U.S.-China trade conflict has pressured global markets, stoking worries about demand for commodities such as crude oil.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed on Monday to extend oil supply cuts until March 2020 as the group's members overcame their differences in order to try to prop up the price of crude.

OPEC is slated to meet with Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, later on Tuesday to discuss supply cuts amid surging U.S. output.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he had agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend global output cuts of 1.2 million barrels per day, or 1.2% of world demand, until December 2019 or March 2020.

Russia reduced oil production in June by more than the amount agreed in a global deal to cut output, the energy minister and industry sources said on Monday, as the sector still felt the impact of a contaminated crude crisis that crippled exports.

Oil prices have also come under renewed pressure in recent months from rising U.S. supplies.

U.S. producers hit a monthly record of 12.16 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, the latest available data showed, though new U.S. shale oil production is expected to slip this year from last year, according to a survey of major forecasters. - Reuters

Earlier report:

Oil price steadies on Opec cuts, but oversupply fears persist

NEW YORK: Oil prices pared gains on Monday after worries about oversupply persisted, pulling back from an early rally as OPEC extended supply cuts until March 2020 during a meeting in Vienna.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Monday to extend oil supply cuts until March 2020, three OPEC sources said, as the group's members overcame their differences in order to prop up the price of crude amid a weakening global economy and soaring U.S. production.

OPEC is slated to meet with Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, on Tuesday to discuss supply cuts amid surging U.S. output.

Brent crude futures for September delivery settled up 32 cents a barrel at $65.06. During the session, they touched an intraday high of $66.75. The August delivery contract closed at $66.55 a barrel on Friday.

U.S. crude futures for August climbed 62 cents to settle at $59.09 a barrel, after earlier touching their highest in over five weeks at $60.28.

“WTI and Brent today have fallen from intraday highs as market watchers become uneasy by the long wait for the OPEC meeting to conclude, a sign that there could be some form of disagreement," said Tony Headrick, an energy market analyst at St. Paul, Minnesota commodity brokerage CHS Hedging LLC.

The closed OPEC meeting lasted for more than six hours.

"It's going to be hard to hold onto the gains: there's going to be a question in the market as to whether the cuts are enough," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management in New York. "So far they're getting the benefit of the doubt, but we've slipped a bit off the highs."

Iran - under U.S. sanctions alongside OPEC ally Venezuela - on Monday joined top producers Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Russia in supporting an extension of a supply cut.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he had agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend existing output cuts of 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by six to nine months.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the deal would most likely be extended by nine months and no deeper reductions were needed.

"If Russia, Saudi Arabia and the other key OPEC members keep production at the levels they produced in H1-19 they will ensure that the global oil market is not flowing over. They will only have to pay a small restraint while reaping a nice oil price of $60-70 a barrel," said SEB's Bjarne Schieldrop.

"OPEC as a whole is losing market share. But this burden is not evenly distributed as it is Venezuela and Iran who are taking almost all the pain."

Oil prices have come under renewed pressure in recent months from rising U.S. supplies and a slowing global economy.

U.S. crude oil output in April rose to a fresh monthly record of 12.16 million bpd, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, even though shale production growth likely peaked last year.

Meanwhile, financial markets were buoyed by a thawing of U.S.-China relations after leaders of the world's two largest economies agreed on Saturday to restart trade talks.

However, Citi analysts were sceptical that both sides would reach a deal soon. - Reuters

Earlier report: