OPEC May Extend Limits On Oil Production

 | Mar 29, 2017 09:01AM ET

OPEC may extend limits on oil production

In this report we consider studying the personal composite instrument (PCI) BRENT to euro . It reflects the Brent oil dynamics to euro. PCI may rise in case of higher oil prices while euro will lose positions to the U.S. dollar.

Oil advanced on Tuesday more than 2% in global market. The militant groups blocked the Sharara and Wafa oil fields in Western part of Libya. This made national oil production fall by about one third or by 252 thousand barrels per day (bpd). The additional negative factor for prices was the speech by Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan representatives on reasonability of oil production cuts by OPEC and other oil producers in the 2nd half of the current year. In December 2016 OPEC members agreed to cut oil production by 1.8mln barrels a day.

The main negative factor for Brent may be the next increase in oil reserves in the US. The official data will come out on Wednesday. The stocks are expected to increase 1.2mln barrels. They are currently being at the historical high of 533,1mln barrels.

The euro fell against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday as the Chicago and Dallas Fed presidents said the further Fed rate hike is essential. The ECB Governing Council member Jan Smets said, in his turn, that the proponents of monetary tightening are outnumbered yet. Any announcements on the prospects of the ECB rate hike are expected no earlier than its next meeting on April 27, 2017 takes place.