Oil prices fell on Monday as worries about oversupply and a further rise in dollar exchange rates pushed Brent futures down by over a dollar to around $59 a barrel.
“The term structure of oil continues to weaken and inventories keep piling up. This frames the stage for lower prices in 1Q15,” said Bank of America Merrill Lynch d in a note.
Brent crude was trading $1.07 lower at $59.14 at 9.30 a.m. ET. Benchmark U.S. WTI crude April futures were trading down 90 cents at $49.44 a barrel.
WTI’s March futures settled at $50.34 a barrel on Friday, expiring as the front-month contract.
The largest U.S. refinery strike in 35 years entered its fourth week on Sunday as workers at 12 refineries accounting for one-fifth of national production capacity were walking picket lines.
“Any concerns around refinery strikes in the United States, that would lead to a drop in demand for crude oil at refineries and therefore contribute to higher stocks,” said Gareth Lewis-Davies, oil strategist at BNP Paribas.
U.S. East Coast refineries have also been hit by cold weather, sending up heating oil futures on fears of tight supplies.
The dollar was up 0.43 percent against a basket of currencies, making dollar-traded commodities such as oil more expensive for those holding other currencies.
Oil prices more than halved between June and January, with Brent front-month futures reaching a low of $45.19 a barrel on Jan. 13.
via Reuters
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