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ECB rate cut and assurances from OPEC+ lifts Brent back to 80

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Back up to the 80-line. Brent crude rose to a close of  USD 79.87/b yesterday and recovered another 1.9% of its recent losses. This morning Brent crude is trading just above the 80-line (+0.2%) aligning well with some smaller gains in industrial metals as well as gains in Asian equities. Market focusing on US payrolls later today. Too hot or too cold?

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Reassurances from OPEC+ helps to drive Brent back up. Brent dropped to USD 76.76/b (intraday) on Tuesday following the OPEC+ meeting last Sunday. That was the lowest since early February this year. Shocked by the price drop, OPEC+ was propelled to issue statements with assurances that they didn’t really mean what they said or say what they meant and that they in no way is shifting away from ”price over volume” with a shift to an aggressive claw-back of market shares. At least not yet. And yes, the group did state explicitly last Sunday that they would only put the 2 m b/d of voluntary cuts back into the market from Q4-24 to Q3-25 if market circumstances would allow it. And no one really believes that there will be room for the return of that volume to the market in that period. So basically it won’t happen. But the issued statements last Sunday still rings very clear to the market: The current production cuts by OPEC+ are not forever. So to all non-OPEC+ producers: Do prepare, do make room, for the return of these volumes. in the years to come. The frustration among the member states of the cartel must be rising steadily as quarter after quarter is passing by and yet again there is no room to return their cuts back into the market. 

ECB rate cuts gives hopes for economic acceleration and oil demand growth. ECB yesterday reduced its policy rate for the first time since 2016 as inflation is coming under control. The hope is that this is the beginning of further rate cuts across many central banks around the world as inflation is coming under control not just in Europe but also across most of the world. And of course further that this will be the start of a more broad based economic acceleration and thus stronger oil demand growth. That is for sure what OPEC+ is hoping for. That stronger oil demand growth will make room for a return of the group’s cuts.

US crude oil production rises to 13.18 m b/d in March, a mere 77 k b/d MoM gain. The US EIA projected in its May report that US crude oil production will continue to rise to 13.9 m b/d by Dec-2025. A slower, but still steady going growth in supply. The latest gains could however indicate that US crude production may flatten totally rather than rise further as current oil prices have done nothing to stimulate further drilling activity in US oil production since November last year. The official monthly US crude oil production for March came in at 13.18 m b/d. It is a recovery following a hard winter with difficult drilling conditions. But it is still below the Dec production level. Nothing would be sweeter news for OPEC+ than seeing US crude production fully flatten here onward. And it would indeed be the correct choice of action by US shale oil producers given that non-OPEC+ producers now has gotten notice: Cuts are not forever.

US crude oil production rises to 13.18 m b/d in March and a mere gain of 77 k b/d MoM and still below Dec-2025.

US crude oil production rises to 13.18 m b/d in March and a mere gain of 77 k b/d MoM and still below Dec-2025.
Source: SEB graph, Blbrg data feed, US EIA data

US EIA is projecting that US crude production will continue to rise and rise though more gradually

US EIA is projecting that US crude production will continue to rise and rise though more gradually
Source: SEB graph, Blbrg data feed, US EIA data

Analys

Rising with softer USD and positive markets but less bullish tailwind from nat gas

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Ticking higher along with softer USD and gains in metals and equities. Brent traded down marginally (-0.2%) yesterday to USD 72.02/b following a 2.4% decline on Wednesday. This morning it is ticking up 0.5% to USD 75.4/b, well aligned with a 0.4% softer USD and solid gains in equities and industrial metals. Technically it is neither overbought nor oversold with RSI at 45. Though it is flirting with the 100dma also being below both the 50dma and the 200dma. So, no obvious strength either. The bullish tailwind from nat gas is fading a bit with TTF nat gas falling sharply to below the price of ICE Gasoil (”diesel”).

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Longer-dated prices supported at USD 68/b. But looks like a process of fading strength. The longer-dated contracts for Brent keep trading down towards the high 60ies around USD 68/b but are rejected repeatedly. The pricing for these contracts looks like a process of fading strength. Just oozing closer to the USD 68/b level with smaller and smaller bounces each time. Very clear consumer buying interest for oil products when Brent crude prices move towards the USD 68-70/b level. This support level may thus to some degree come from the consumer side of the market. If oil consuming industry loses confidence in the economy, we might see the longer dated prices break below USD 68-70/b. But oil producers may also have limited interest in hedging downside risk at around the 68-mark. So, selling from that side of the market is probably also fading at that level. But also, sellers/producers may change if the global economy was to look shakier.

Microscopic changes in IEA forecast. OPEC(+) still needs to cut in 2025 to balance market. The IEA made only microscopic adjustments to its oil market balance yesterday. Adjusting production in OECD Europe and FSU production slightly lower resulting in call-on-OPEC going up by 0.2 mb/d versus the previous report. Call-on-OPEC is still set to decline from 27.1 mb/d in 2024 to 26.7 mb/d in 2025. A y-y decline of 0.4 mb/d implying that the group will have to cut production comparably in 2025. OPEC+ is of course planning to lift production by 120 kb/d/month from April onwards. Nope, says the IEA. It has to reduce supply instead.

Front-month and longer dated Brent crude oil prices in USD/b bouncing off the USD 68-70/b level.

Front-month and longer dated Brent crude oil prices in USD/b bouncing off the USD 68-70/b level.
Source: SEB graph, Bloomberg data

European TTF front-month price trading sharply lower following signals that nat gas inventories in Europe may not need to mandatory fill to 90% by 1 November anyhow.

European TTF front-month price trading sharply lower following signals that nat gas inventories in Europe may not need to mandatory fill to 90% by 1 November anyhow.
Source: SEB calculations and graph, Bloomberg data
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Analys

Climbing crude inventories in line with seasonal patterns

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Yesterday’s report from the US DOE revealed an increase of 4.1 million barrels in US crude oil inventories for the previous week. This build exceeded the consensus estimate of 2.5 million barrels whilst less than the API forecast of 9 million barrels reported on Tuesday. As of last week, total US crude inventories stand at 428 million barrels, which represents a decrease of 12 million barrels compared to the same week last year.

Ole R. Hvalbye, Analyst Commodities, SEB
Ole R. Hvalbye, Analyst Commodities, SEB

In addition, gasoline inventories decreased by 3.0 million barrels, surpassing the consensus estimate of a 0.5-million-barrel drawdown. Conversely, distillate (diesel) inventories saw an increase of 0.135 million barrels, contrary to the expected decline of 1.5 million barrels. In total, commercial inventories (excluding the SPR) – which include crude oil, gasoline, and diesel – rose by 1.2 million barrels.

Refinery utilization improved by 0.5 percentage points, reaching 85% last week. Meanwhile, total products supplied (a proxy for implied demand) over the past four-week period averaged 20.3 million barrels per day, reflecting a 2.8% increase compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, gasoline demand averaged 8.3 million barrels per day over the past four weeks, up by 0.9% from the same period in 2024. Diesel demand averaged 4.2 million barrels per day, showing a significant increase of 13.6% year-on-year. Jet fuel demand also saw an increase of 4.4% compared to the same four-week period in 2024.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) will be releasing its monthly report today at 10:00 CET.

Oil inventories
Oil inventories
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Analys

Crude oil comment: Tariffs spark small reactions, but price gains hold steady

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Brent crude prices bottomed out at USD 74.10 per barrel on Thursday evening (February 6th) after a continuous decline since mid-January. Since then, prices have climbed uninterruptedly by USD 2.5 per barrel, reaching the current level of USD 76.50 per barrel.

Ole R. Hvalbye, Analyst Commodities, SEB
Ole R. Hvalbye, Analyst Commodities, SEB

Since the beginning of 2025, price movements have been more volatile compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Additionally, the market has broken the firm range-bound levels of USD 70–75 per barrel that prevailed from mid-October 2024 to January 2025.

Brent crude rose by nearly USD 1.50 per barrel yesterday (February 10th), driven by a tighter supply outlook. This has been credited to stricter sanctions resulting in Russia producing below its quota. Meanwhile, the US President recently ordered a 25% tariff on all aluminum and steel imports, including from Canada and Mexico, the country’s top two foreign suppliers. The tariffs are set to take effect on March 12, according to the White House.

At present, Brent crude appears to be holding onto its price gains, with little reaction so far to the latest tariff news, as markets await key US CPI data scheduled for tomorrow (February 12th).

As we highlighted last week (link), there has recently been a significant build-up in US crude inventories, with Canadian crude flows increasing rapidly to meet the tariff deadline, which was originally set for March. However, US industry-based inventory data (API) is due to be released later today, and we expect a slowdown, as Canada negotiated a 30-day delay in the imposition of US tariffs. A 10% import tariff on Canadian oil had been proposed.

On top of that, there is an increasing risk to the Gaza ceasefire deal, as both parties have accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement. The US President has stated that Israel should call off its ceasefire agreement with Hamas if hostages are not returned by this weekend, further contributing to heightened geopolitical tensions, as well as the US’ tougher stance on Iran.

Stay tuned. This week, monthly oil market reports from the EIA (this evening), IEA (Thursday, February 13th), and OPEC (tomorrow, February 12th) will be released.

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