Oil Prices Settle Slightly Higher as Optimism Around US Inflation Data Outweighs OPEC Supply Concerns

Summary

US CPI data suggests potential for further rate cuts, boosting risk appetite
OPEC+ may resume oil output increases from April, impacting summer fuel demand
Russia says next Ukraine peace talks set for next week
Investors watch for US-Iran talks, easing Venezuelan sanctions

HOUSTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) – Oil prices settled marginally higher on Friday after data showed an overall slowdown in U.S. inflation, helping offset supply concerns as OPEC+ is leaning towards a resumption in production increases.

Brent crude futures closed 23 cents, or 0.3%, higher at $67.75 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled 5 cents, or 0.08% higher at $62.89.

Both benchmarks posted weekly declines after incurring near 3% losses on Thursday. Brent settled down about 0.5%, while WTI lost 1% in the week.

U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in January amid cheaper gasoline prices and a moderation in rental inflation.

“Looks like inflation is stabilizing. So, I think that’s going to be a boon for interest rates to probably continue to move a little bit lower. And I think as rates start to move lower… that’s a positive to the economy,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.

“The negative is going to be that OPEC could possibly increase production a little further,” he added.

Prices fell earlier in the session as investors reacted to a Reuters report that OPEC is leaning towards a resumption in oil output increases from April, ahead of upcoming peak summer fuel demand, and amid firmer crude prices owing to tensions over U.S.-Iran relations. On the U.S. supply side, Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by three to 409 this week.

Oil prices had strengthened earlier in the week on concerns that the U.S. could attack Middle Eastern oil producer Iran over its nuclear programme. But comments on Thursday from U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington could make a deal with Iran over the next month drove down prices on Thursday.

The Pentagon, however, is sending an aircraft carrier from the Caribbean to the Middle East, U.S. officials said on Friday, a move that would put two carriers in the region as tensions soar between the United States and Iran.

Russia, meanwhile, said on Friday that the next round of peace talks on Ukraine will take place next week.

Negotiations with Iran and Russia will be the near-term market movers, Kissler said, adding that near-term global crude supplies remain ample and crude futures likely have a $5 to $7 per barrel geopolitical premium baked in.

The U.S. also eased sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector on Friday, issuing two general licenses that allow global energy companies to operate oil and gas projects in the OPEC member and for other companies to negotiate contracts to bring in fresh investments.

Oil sales from Venezuela controlled by the U.S. have totalled over $1 billion so far and in the next few months will bring in another $5 billion, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told NBC News on Thursday.

Money managers raised their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions in the week to February 10, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Friday.

Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar, Robert Harvey, Stephanie Kelly, Sam Li, Lewis Jackson and Sudarshan Varadhan Editing by Susan Fenton, Kirsten Donovan and Deepa Babington