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Oil rises for a second day on supply tightness concerns

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2 years ago

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  • Russia’s Gazprom tightens squeeze on gas flow to Europe.
  • Fed expected to hike rates 75 bps on Wednesday.
  • Brent premium to US crude hits widest in three years.

LONDON: Oil prices rose on Tuesday for a second day on increasing concerns about tightening European supply after Russia, a key energy supplier to the region, cut gas supply through a major pipeline.

Brent crude futures rose $1.14, or 1.1%, to $106.29 a barrel by 1029 GMT, extending a 1.9% gain the previous day.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased $1.31, or 1.4%, to $98.01 a barrel, having gained 2.1% on Monday.

Russia tightened its gas squeeze on Europe on Monday as Gazprom said supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany would drop to just 20% of capacity. 

The cut in supplies will leave countries unable to meet their goals to refill natural gas storage ahead of the winter demand period. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, faces potentially rationing gas to industry to keep its citizens warm during the winter months. 

“The announcement revived fears that Russia, despite its cynical denial, will not shy away from using its energy as a weapon in order to gain concessions in its war against Ukraine and…could probably expect short-term success,” Tamas Varga from oil brokerage PVM said.

The European Union has repeatedly accused Russia of resorting to energy blackmail, while the Kremlin says shortfalls have been caused by maintenance issues and the effect of Western sanctions.

On Tuesday, EU countries agreed on an emergency regulation to curb their gas use this winter. 

Europe’s crude, oil product and gas supplies have been disrupted by a combination of Western sanctions and payment disputes with Russia since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

Still, falling demand because of recent high crude and fuel prices and the expectation of an increase in interest rates in the United States have put pressure on prices.

The US central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates by 75 basis points at the conclusion of its policy meeting on Wednesday. That increase may reduce economic activity and thus impact fuel demand growth. 

Morgan Stanley said that 77% of global central banks have hiked rates in the last six months, with that percentage reaching a 40-year high, and “making this the most-synchronised cycle of rate hikes since the early 1980s”.

The bank lowered its demand growth forecasts for this year and next. It forecasts Brent crude prices at $110 a barrel in the third quarter and WTI at $107.50, each $20 lower than their previous forecast.

The gap between European and international oil benchmark Brent and US benchmark WTI has widened to levels not seen since June 2019 as easing gasoline demand in the United States weighs on US crude while tight supply supports Brent. 

Prompt Brent inter-month spreads reached $5 a barrel on Tuesday, their highest level in three weeks. In a backwardated market, front-month prices are higher than those in future months.

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Trade Agreements Worth $10.70 Million Were Signed At Expo For Pakistan And Indonesia To Increase Their Trade With The Support Of SIFC

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Through the assistance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Pakistan and Indonesia have reiterated their dedication to improving their economic and commercial ties.

The participation of a Pakistani trade delegation was made possible by Indonesia at a recent trade expo, which resulted in the formation of agreements and memorandums of understanding with a total value of 10.70 million $. In addition to retail items and automobile components, these agreements span industries such as coconut, cocoa, ginger, spices, and retail goods.

As a key step toward improving economic ties, particularly with the Sindh business community, the participation of the group was praised by Tegu Viveko, who is acting as the Consul General of Indonesia.

Abid Nisar, the head of the Pakistan-Indonesia business council, has stated his confidence regarding the possibility of enhanced relations between the two countries, highlighting the historical and cultural origins of the connection.

In its capacity as a member of the G20, Indonesia intends to assist both nations in maximizing the benefits of their partnership in order to achieve better economic stability.

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Pakistan’s textile exports rose by 9.51% to $4.520 billion.

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Pakistan’s textile exports had a 9.51 percent increase in the first quarter of the current financial year (2024-25) compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported that textile exports from the country amounted to US $4.520 billion during July-September (2024-25), compared to US $4.127 billion during the same period in the previous year (2023-24).

The textile goods that facilitated trade expansion comprised cotton fabric, whose exports rose by 10.20 percent to $523.63 million from $475.187 million, and knitwear, which experienced a 14.13 percent increase in exports to $1,268.908 million from $1,111.818 million.

Other commodities that experienced trade growth included bed wear, with exports increasing by 13.31 percent to $794.972 million from $701.570 million; towels, which rose by 7.04 percent to $261.316 million from $244.134 million; and tents, canvas, and tarpaulin, which grew by 5.43 percent to $28.796 million this year compared to $27.312 million last year.

The export of readymade garments increased by 23.17 percent to $996.831 million from $809.316 million; art, silk, and synthetic textiles rose by 15.79 percent to $96.482 million; made-up articles (excluding towels and bed wear) grew by 12.10 percent to $191.050 million from $170.422 million; and the export of other textile materials surged by 8.73 percent to $187.145 million from $172.112 million.

The textile commodities that had negative trade growth were cotton yarn, with exports decreasing by 48.45 percent, from $315.404 million to $162.579 million, while raw cotton exports fell by 100 percent from 6.621 million to zero during the reviewed months.

The export of yarn, excluding cotton yarn, decreased by 15.15 percent, from $10.096 million to $8.566 million.

In September 2024, textile exports experienced a year-on-year growth of 17.92 percent compared to the same month in the previous year.

Textile exports from the country in September 2024 amounted to US $1,604.481 million, compared to US $1,360.902 million in September 2023.

Textile exports from the country experienced a nominal decline of 2.40 percent in September 2024, compared to the $1,644.333 million reported in August 2024, according to PBS statistics.

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PIA is designated as the official airline of IDEAS 2004.

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PIA has been designated as the official airline of IDEAS 2024. The PIA will utilise its aircraft for the promotion of IDEAS 2024.

In this context, the emblems of IDEAS 2024 have been affixed to two Boeing 777 aircraft and two Airbus planes of Pakistan International Airlines.

The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) 2024 is scheduled to commence from November 19 to 22 at the Karachi Expo Centre.

The government of Pakistan places significant value on IDEAS. The show draws several delegates and is perceived as a means to promote their local arms trade.

The inaugural IDEAS launch took place in 2000, serving as a platform to promote Pakistan’s indigenous arms manufacturing industry while allowing international suppliers to provide solutions for the needs of Pakistan’s tri-services.

The event, consistently held at the Karachi Expo Centre, attracted forty-five foreign delegations in its inaugural year.

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