RTRS: NYMEX-Crude drops on demand worry, eyeing Iran
NEW YORK, Oct 5 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures slumped Monday on
concerns about weak demand and high inventories as well as a perceived
lessening of geopolitical threats to supply in Iran and Nigeria.
"Crude futures remain under pressure due to concerns over global supply
and fuel demand after the U.S. government released a dismal unemployment
report on Friday," Addison Armstrong, analyst at Tradition Energy in
Stamford, Connecticut, said in a research note.
Providing some support for oil was the dollar's weakness after a G7
meeting reaffirmed the market's view policymakers are comfortable with a
gradually weakening dollar. [USD/
Oil markets will be eyeing the Institute for Supply Management's
September services index due to be released at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on
Monday. [ID:nN02523757]
U.S. commercial crude oil and refined products remain at sizable
premiums to year-ago levels. [EIA/S]
Wall Street opened higher Monday. [.N]
PRICES
* On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT),
November crude CLX9 was down $1.04, or 1.49 percent, at $68.91 a barrel,
trading from $68.41 to $70.22.
* In London, November Brent crude LCOX9 fell $1.10, or 1.62 percent,
to $66.97 a barrel, trading from $66.46 to $68.26.
* NYMEX November RBOB RBX9 fell 2.29 cents, or 1.32 percent, to
$1.7180 a gallon, trading from $1.7057 to $1.7450.
* NYMEX November heating oil HOX9 fell 3.48 cents, or 1.94 percent,
to $1.7620 a gallon, trading from $1.7544 to $1.8007.
* The November/November RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $3.25
after ending at $3.17 on Friday. The November/November heating oil crack
spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $5.20 after ending at $5.52 Friday.
* The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward
crude contract CLc61 was at $14.23, based on the November 2014 contract
Friday settlement at $83.14. The spread ended Friday at $13.19.
TECHNICALS
NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $68.69/$69.85
Technical support/resistance:
NYMEX crude: $68.32/$71.39
NYMEX heating oil: $1.6995/$1.9065
NYMEX RBOB: $1.67/$1.8150
For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nL5706055]
MARKET NEWS
* U.N. experts will inspect Iran's newly disclosed uranium enrichment
plant on Oct. 25. [ID:nL4526913]
* President Barack Obama's top security adviser on Sunday dismissed a
report that Iran was closer to making an atomic bomb and said Iranian
cooperation in the last few weeks was good for nuclear nonproliferation.
[ID:nN0487557]
* Nigeria's last prominent militant leader agreed to halt fighting in
return for an unconditional pardon. [ID:nL4527500]
* Shell Oil Co (RDSa.L) was restarting some units at its Scotford
refinery near Edmonton, Canada, the refinery said in a notice on a
community information line. [ID:nN05373176]
* Saudi Arabia cut the official selling price for its benchmark Saudi
Light Crude oil to U.S. clients in November by $1.70 a barrel to a discount
of $4.60 below U.S. light crude and cut the price of Arab Light to Asian
customers by 20 cents to Oman/Dubai average plus $0.40 a barrel.