RTRS: NYMEX-Crude slumps ahead of data amid economic worry
U.S. crude oil futures fell on Wednesday
ahead of a government inventory report expected to show crude supplies rose
last week and amid gloomy economic data that pressured equities.
A report of accelerating U.S. private sector job losses that helped
push Wall Street lower at the open and a Reuters survey showing OPEC output
fell in March but remained above an agreed-upon target also provided
pressure on oil.
"Crude and products futures slumped overnight on light volume as
traders brace themselves for possible news for a large build in crude
stockpiles and world equity markets retreat before the G20 leaders meet
today in London," Addison Armstrong, analyst at Tradition Energy, said in a
note.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release its inventory
report Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).
The American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday said that in the week to
March 27, crude supplies rose 3.3 million barrels to 357.8 million barrels.
Gasoline stocks fell 451,000 barrels and distillate stocks rose 1.8 million
barrels. [API/S]
A Reuters analyst survey yielded a forecast for crude stocks to have
risen 2.5 million barrels last week while gasoline stocks fell 1.4 million
barrels and distillate supplies declined 800,000 barrels. [EIA/S]
PRICES
* On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:52 a.m. EDT, May crude
CLK9 was down $1.90, or 3.83 percent, at $47.76 a barrel, trading from
$47.35 to $48.96.
* In London, May Brent LCOK9 crude fell $1.40, or 2.84 percent, to
$47.83 a barrel, trading from $47.38 to $48.59.
* NYMEX May RBOB RBK9 fell 5.17 cents, or 3.64 percent, to $1.3696 a
gallon, trading from $1.3620 to $1.4139.
* NYMEX May heating oil HOK9 fell 4.80 cents, or 3.51, percent, to
$1.3199 a gallon, trading from $1.3088 to $1.3674.
* The May/May RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $9.83 a barrel. It
ended at $10.03 Tuesday. The May/May heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R>
was at $7.81. It ended at $7.79 Tuesday.
* The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward
crude contract CLc61 was at $26.28, based on the May 2014 contract's
Tuesday settlement at $74.04. The spread ended at $24.38 Tuesday.
MARKET NEWS
* U.S. stocks fell at the open Wednesday as data showed job losses in
the U.S. private sector accelerated in March and on news General Motors
could be headed for bankruptcy. [.N]
* Job losses in the U.S. private sector accelerated in March, more than
economists' expectations, according to a report by ADP Employer Services on
Wednesday. [ID:nN01466951]
* A fire broke out at the coker plant of the 580,000 bpd refinery of
Reliance Petroleum (RPET.BO) at Jamnagar in western India, the district's
administrator said. [ID:nDEL002776]
* OPEC oil output fell in March but production remained above target,
with compliance estimated at 79 percent, a Reuters survey showed.
[ID:nL1223519]
* Russian gas supplies to the Balkans fell by 40 percent on Wednesday
after a blast damaged a pipeline in a separatist region of ex-Soviet
Moldova. [ID:nL1621837]
* Qatar has notified Asian term buyers it will cut May supplies of
heavy Marine crude, a move likely to improve OPEC quota compliance,
industry sources said. [ID:nT175417]
* OPEC is willing to cut output again if necessary, Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez said in comments broadcast on state television on
Tuesday. [ID:nN31416592]