Amid intensified war in the Middle East, oil prices eclipsed $100 per barrel for the first time in more than three-and-a-half years on Sunday as the Iran war hinders production and shipping in the Middle East. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was at $107.97 after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up 16.5 per cent from its Friday closing price of $92.69.
Crude oil produced in the United States was selling for about $106.22 a barrel
West Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, was selling for about $106.22 a barrel. That is 16.9 per cent higher than it closed Friday at $90.90.Both could rise or fall as market trading continued.
The increases followed the US crude price jumping by 36 per cent and Brent crude rising by 28 per cent last week. Oil prices have surged as the war, now in its second week, ensnared countries and places that are critical to the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf.
Roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil — about 20 per cent of the world’s oil — typically are shipped every day through the Strait of Hormuz, according to independent research firm Rystad Energy. The threat of Iranian missile and drone attacks has all but stopped tankers from travelling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE have cut their oil production
Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE have cut their oil production as storage tanks fill due to the reduced ability to export crude. Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, exacerbating supply concerns.
The last time US crude futures traded above $100 per barrel was June 30, 2022, when the price reached $105.76. For Brent, it was July 29, 2022, when the price hit $104 per barrel.
The global surge in oil prices since Israel and the US attacked Iran on March 1 has rattled financial markets, sparking worries that higher energy costs will fuel inflation and lead to less spending by US consumers, the main engine of the economy.
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