Oil tumbles toward 11-year lows on worsening glut
Oil prices tumbled 4 percent on Monday, coming close to their 11-year low, on growing fears that the global oil glut would worsen in the months to come in a pricing war between leading OPEC and non-OPEC producers.
Brent crude fell by 4 percent to below $36.40 a barrel for the first time since December 2008 and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) sank almost 3 percent below $34.60 a barrel.
Brent traded only 14 cents above the lows last seen during the 2008 financial crisis of $36.20 a barrel.
If Brent falls below that level, that will be its lowest since mid-2004 – a year when oil was beginning its surge from the single digits it hit during the 1998 financial crisis and when talk of a commodity super-cycle was only beginning.
WTI’s financial crisis low was $32.40 in December 2008.
“Oil is coming under pressure as the lack of OPEC cuts mean incessant oversupply continues,” said Amrita Sen from Energy Aspects think tank.
Both benchmarks have fallen every day since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Dec. 4 abandoned its output ceiling. In the past six sessions, they have shed more than 13 percent each.
OPEC has been pumping near record levels since last year in an attempt to drive higher-cost producers such as U.S. shale firms out of the market.
New supply is likely to hit the market early next year as OPEC member Iran ramps up production once sanctions are lifted as expected following the July agreement on its disputed nuclear program.
“All new production will be earmarked for exports,” BMI Research said in a note. “In addition to volumes released from storage, Iran will be able to increase crude oil and condensates exports by a maximum of 700,000 b/d by end-2016,” it said.
Iran’s crude oil exports are set to hit a six-month high in December as buyers ramp up purchases in expectation that sanctions against the country will be lifted early next year, according to an industry source with knowledge of tanker loading schedules.