WTI recovers above $70.50 on fresh Iran sanctions
- WTI price trades in positive territory near $70.80 in Tuesday’s early Asian session.
- The US rolled out new Iran-related sanctions, lifting the WTI price.
- Trump’s tariff plans and war in Ukraine remain in focus.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $70.80 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The WTI price extends the recovery amid concerns of near-term supply tightness.
The United States (US) imposed a fresh round of sanctions, the Treasury and State Departments announced on Monday, targeting companies and individuals, including the head of Iran's national oil company. This might add to concerns of near-term supply tightness, weighing on the WTI price.
On the other hand, traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding further tariff policies from US President Donald Trump. Concerns over a potential global trade war could limit further gains for black gold. US President Donald Trump said Monday that sweeping US tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico “will go forward” when a month-long delay on their implementation expires next week.
Additionally, the thaw in US-Russian ties as well as possible peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war might exert some selling pressure on the WTI price. This could eventually lead to reduced sanctions on Russia and the full resumption of Russian oil exports.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
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