Oil Holds Near Highest Since November as OPEC+ Tightens Market

Oil steadied near its highest level since November in a thin holiday trading session as traders await production updates from OPEC+.

(Bloomberg) — Oil steadied near its highest level since November in a thin holiday trading session as traders await production updates from OPEC+.

West Texas Intermediate futures were little changed above $85 a barrel. The Brent benchmark settled at $89, with both contracts trading in a narrow daily range. 

Options markets have seen flurries of bullish activity in recent weeks, with call volumes on US futures rising Friday to their highest since May.

Crude’s recent rally has been driven by cuts from OPEC+ leaders Saudi Arabia and Russia, which are expected to announce their next steps in coming days.

“We think oil prices could be supported over the near term amid the anticipation of persistent supply tightness,” Bank of China International analysts, including Xiao Fu, wrote in a note. “Saudi Arabia and Russia are expected to extend their voluntary production cuts into October.”

At an industry conference in Singapore, Trafigura Group’s co-head of oil trading, Ben Luckock, said the market may be prone to price spikes.

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