Crude prices continue to decline

LONDON: Oil prices slid on Wednesday, extending falls from the previous session, as a big increase in US crude inventories and a slump in Chinese demand implied too much global supply despite OPEC-led efforts to cut output.

International Brent crude futures were trading at $54.69 per barrel at 1501 GMT, down 36 cents from their previous close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $51.71 a barrel, down 46 cents.

The declines came on the back of unexpectedly big increases in US fuel inventories, as reported by the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday.

Crude inventories rose by 14.2 million barrels in the week to Feb. 3 to 503.6 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.5 million barrel increase.

“If the official data from the US Department of Energy were to show a similar inventory build ... US crude oil stocks would be catapulted to almost a record level,” Commerzbank said in a note.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes its official data later on Wednesday.

Gasoline stocks rose by 2.9 million



barrels, compared with expectations for a 1.1-million-barrel gain.

Goldman Sachs analysts said that the data pointed to “US gasoline demand falling sharply by 460,000 barrels per day (bpd) year on year in January, with such declines only previously (seen) during recessions.”

The EIA said on Tuesday it expects US crude production to grow by 100,000 bpd to 8.98 million barrels this year, 0.3 percent less than previously forecast, but expects production to jump by 550,000 bpd in 2018.

Growing US supplies undermine a deal led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to curb output and support prices.

Prices also came under pressure from signs of slowing demand from the world’s biggest energy consumer.

China’s 2016 oil demand grew at its slowest pace in at least three years, Reuters calculations based on official data showed.

China’s implied oil demand growth eased to 2.5 percent in 2016, down from 3.1 percent in 2015 and 3.8 percent in 2014, led by a sharp drop in diesel consumption and as gasoline usage eased from double-digit growth.