Advertisement
UK markets close in 8 hours 12 minutes
  • FTSE 100

    8,127.42
    +48.56 (+0.60%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    19,663.79
    +61.81 (+0.32%)
     
  • AIM

    754.07
    +0.95 (+0.13%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1650
    -0.0006 (-0.05%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2501
    -0.0010 (-0.08%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    51,447.64
    -21.63 (-0.04%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,389.25
    -7.29 (-0.52%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,048.42
    -23.21 (-0.46%)
     
  • DOW

    38,085.80
    -375.12 (-0.98%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    84.10
    +0.53 (+0.63%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,350.20
    +7.70 (+0.33%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    37,934.76
    +306.28 (+0.81%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    17,670.18
    +385.64 (+2.23%)
     
  • DAX

    18,020.98
    +103.70 (+0.58%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,067.40
    +50.75 (+0.63%)
     

Oil dips, still set for biggest January rise in 5 years

* Brent, WTI each drop 1.5 pct

* Brent oil has risen more than 6 pct in January

* Speculators bet on higher prices but potential for correction

* U.S. production to hit 10 million bpd soon (New (KOSDAQ: 160550.KQ - news) throughout, updates prices, market activity and analyst comments; changes byline, dateline from LONDON)

By Bryan Sims

HOUSTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped 1.5 percent on Monday, pressured by a strengthening dollar and rising U.S. crude output, but prices remained on track for the biggest January increase in five years.

Brent crude futures were down $1.05 at $69.45 a barrel at 11:26 EST (1626 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were $1 lower at $65.14 a barrel.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brent has risen 6.3 percent so far this month, headed for its biggest January rise since 2013.

"There seems to be a little profit-taking today because the stock market is weaker and longs keep adding to the long side of the equation," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Oil prices have been buoyed by the U.S. dollar's six straight weekly slides. The greenback is set to fall 3 percent for this month. Oil is priced in the U.S. currency, so a falling dollar can boost demand for crude from buyers using other currencies.

The dollar index had been below $90 since Jan. 24. But the currency has rebounded nearly 0.5 percent since Friday to $89.59, which has weighed on crude prices.

"After six weeks of losses balance is inevitable. Its influence has really resurged as of late to where the dollar index below $90 has propped up oil," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Crude prices also had drawn support from a large premium in the front-month Brent oil contract over those for future delivery, as investment in crude futures and options reached a new record high last week.

Oil consumption is surging as a result of growth in major economies, while OPEC and its allies have made repeated commitments to limiting their crude output.

On Monday, Iraq's oil minister said in London that the oil market was improving, and that the country would comply with OPEC output cuts even though it is trying to increase its oil export capacity.

Somewhat offsetting the OPEC-led cuts has been rising oil output in North America.

"We believe that today’s oil prices project a too rosy picture," said Julius Baer (LSE: 0QO6.L - news) 's head of macro and commodity research Norbert Ruecker.

U.S. output (C-OUT-T-EIA) has jumped more than 17 percent since mid-2016, reaching 9.88 million barrels per day (bpd) in mid-January. It is expected to exceed 10 million bpd soon.

U.S. energy firms added 12 drilling rigs for new production in the week to Jan. 26, taking the total to 759, Baker Hughes reported on Friday.

U.S. production is now on par with top exporter and OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia. Only Russia produces more, averaging 10.98 million bpd in 2017.

(Additional reporting by Nina Chestney and Amanda Cooper in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by David Gregorio)