Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Oil slides on China demand concerns, easing supply worries

Oil slides on China demand concerns, easing supply worries

Oil fell around 2 percent on Friday and was on track for a second weekly decline, pressured by concern about weakening demand in China and further interest rate rises by the US Federal Reserve.
As part of the rout, the market structure of both oil benchmarks shifted in ways that reflect dwindling supply concerns. Crude had come close to all-time highs earlier this year as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added to those concerns.

China, which sources say is looking to slow crude imports from some exporters, has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases, while hopes for the moderation of aggressive US rate hikes have been dented by remarks from some Fed officials this week.

“As things stand, bullish price drivers are in short supply,” Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM said. “Yet with the EU embargo on Russian crude less than three weeks away, oil prices could still end the year with a bang.”

Brent crude was down $1.80, or 2 percent, at $87.98 a barrel by 1325 GMT, having touched $87.86 earlier, the lowest since Oct. 3. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down $1.52 or 1.9 percent at $80.12.

Both benchmarks are heading for a second weekly loss. Brent is on track for a decline of more than 8 percent, while WTI is down about 10 percent.

In a sign of easing concern about supply, the nearby WTI contract moved to a discount to the second month , a structure known as contango, for the first time since 2021, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

Brent was still in the opposite structure, backwardation, although the premium of nearby Brent over barrels loading in six months fell as low as $3.24 a barrel, the lowest since April.

Recession concerns have dominated this week even with the EU's ban on Russian crude looming on Dec. 5 and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together known as OPEC+, tightening supply.

“On the demand side, there are concerns about an economic slowdown,” said Naeem Aslam of Avatrade. “The path of the least resistance seems skewed to the downside.”

The Fed is expected to raise rates by a smaller 50 basis points (bps) at its Dec. 13-14 policy meeting after four consecutive 75 bp hikes, according to a Reuters poll.

OPEC+, which began a new round of supply cuts in November, holds a policy meeting on Dec. 4.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×