Oil closed at the lowest level in more than six years after U.S. crude inventories climbed to the highest recorded for this time of year since 1930.
Photo from
the Internet
Crude supplies rose to 490.7
million barrels last week, leaving stockpiles more than 120 million barrels
above the five-year seasonal average, government data showed. The discount of
crude in New York to global marker Brent earlier dropped to an 11-month low
amid expectations that a 40-year-old ban on most American crude exports will be
lifted. Futures maintained losses after the Federal Reserve raised interest
rates for the first time in almost a decade.
West Texas Intermediate oil
for January delivery dropped $1.83, or 4.9 percent, to close at $35.52 a barrel
on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It's the lowest settlement since February
2009. The volume of all futures traded was 32 percent above the 100-day average
at 3:01 p.m.
Brent for January delivery,
which expired today, fell $1.26, or 3.3 percent, to $37.19 a barrel on the
London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. It was the lowest close since Dec.
24, 2008. The more-active February contract slid 3.5 percent to $37.39.
No comments:
Post a Comment