Oil declined as investors turned their focus to domestic supply, with expectations for another build in already swelling U.S. stockpiles.
Futures in New York fell 1.3% on Tuesday. A U.S. government report Wednesday will probably show crude stockpiles increased 450,000 barrels after last week’s nearly 5-million-barrel rise, further compounding concerns over a stalling economic recovery with the coronavirus pandemic flaring up around the world. Consultant Rystad Energy highlighted the risks to crude’s recovery from a record glut earlier this year, saying it expects oil supply to eclipse demand for the next four months.
The industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will release its tally of inventories later on Tuesday ahead of the Energy Information Administration report.
Following a swift rebound from April lows, crude prices have struggled to find direction in recent months, with U.S. benchmark futures bouncing in a tight range around $40 a barrel as the resurgent pandemic sours prospects for a demand recovery. In the U.S., New Jersey’s transmission rate hit its highest in three months. Elsewhere, countries from the Netherlands to Malaysia are facing a rise in new cases and China’s virus cluster has spread to Beijing.
Oil-consulting firm FGE said U.S. gasoline demand will have a hard time reaching 9 million barrels a day this year and the International Air Transport Association’s chief economist expects that future demand for jet fuel will not catch up with the pre-Covid forecast for at least five years.
The futures curve is also showing signs of weakness. Brent’s September futures were 39 cents cheaper than for October, compared with a 23-cent discount a week earlier. The difference between the front- and second-month price is known as the prompt timespread. WTI’s prompt spread has also declined. The widening discounts, known as contango, is typical of a supply glut.
“No matter how you cut it, contango encourages storage,” Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA, said in a note. “Until that math is eliminated from the energy patch, prices will struggle to rally to the next level. Prices are more likely to break down.”