From $82 to near $100 and back: Here’s how Brent crude moved in 2023 and why
Crude oil benchmark Brent futures has moved sideways in the last one year – between January to December 2023, majorly due to the supply cuts announced by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) as well as the Israel-Hamas war. Oil majors including Saudi Arabia and Russia have since then defended the oil production cuts as a precautionary measure, aimed at the ‘stability of the oil market’.
Among other reasons, a stronger US dollar and the spike in US bond yields in the last few months have also dictated the movement of crude oil prices. However, the latest meeting by OPEC+ turned out to be disappointing for the uptrend of prices as investors saw limited impact of the supply cuts on oil markets.
What’s been the movement of crude oil prices in 2023?
-In April 2023, OPEC+ announced oil production cuts of around 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd) in a surprise decision. The shock cut, led by Saudi Arabia, immediately drove crude oil prices 8 per cent higher to $83.95 a barrel, which at the time – was the highest rise in more than a year. The voluntary cuts started from May 2023 and were put in place to last until the end of the year.
-OPEC+ met for its scheduled oil output policy decision in June 2023 and announced that it will reduce overall production targets from 2024 by a further total of 1.4 million bpd. OPEC nations produce around 30 per cent of the world’s crude oil. Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producer within the cartel, producing more than 10 million bpd. OPEC+ pumps around 40 per cent of the world’s crude.
-However, Saudi Arabia, OPEC cartel’s dominant member, announced that it will alone make deep production cuts of 1 million bpd starting from July, as part of a broader output-limiting OPEC+ deal as the group faces flagging oil prices and a looming supply glut. The rest of the OPEC producers then had agreed to extend earlier cuts in supply through the end of 2024.
-A month later, Russia joined Saudi to announce an extra oil export curb of 300,000 bpd. In September, Saudi Arabia and Russia together announced that will extend with the oil supply curbs of more than 1.3 million bpd till the end of the year. The production cuts first announced by the oil majors in July led to a sharp surge in international crude prices – reaching almost one-year high levels, and posed fresh inflationary pressures for the global economy.
-By the end of September 2023, crude oil prices had risen 30 per cent in three months, with Brent staring at the $100/bbl-mark, over the supply cuts by the oil producing majors. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose 29 per cent and Brent futures surged 27 per cent between July-September.
-As oil futures inched closer to $100 a barrel, many investors took profits on the rally given ongoing macroeconomic concerns. Crude prices going above $100 per barrel mark brings inflationary pressures on global economy and will compel central banks to raise interest rates all over again.
-In October 2023, the Israel-Hamas war drove crude oil prices between 3-6 per cent, however, the momentum could not be sustained as global demand concerns outweighed the impact of supply cuts. Since then, Brent has come down to an average of $80/bbl-mark and is expected to hover between $80-$85/bbl.
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Published: 20 Dec 2023, 09:45 PM IST
