Oil prices dipped on Thursday as a surprise build in U.S. stockpiles fuelled fears about slow demand from the world’s top oil consumer, though declines were capped by worries a potential expansion of the Gaza war may disrupt Middle East supplies.
Brent crude oil futures fell 28 cents, or 0.3%, to $84.97 a barrel by 0310 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 31 cents, or 0.4%, to $80.59 per barrel. Both benchmarks had settled slightly higher on Wednesday.
“An expected increase in U.S. inventories of crude oil and gasoline are weighing on the market due to fears of weakening demand,” said Tsuyoshi Ueno, senior economist at NLI Research Institute.
“But the market is in a tug-of-war situation, underpinned by the prospect that an escalation in the battle between Israel and Hezbollah may hinder supply,” he added.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 3.6 million barrel jump in the country’s crude oil stocks last week, surprising analysts polled by Reuters who had expected a 2.9 million-barrel drawdown.
