CRUDE IN SIGHT

Crude consolidates early Wed as Russia supply worries linger - Sept. 17, 2025

  • Crude futures were consolidating a third consecutive session of gains early Wednesday in Asia, leading to rangebound trading.
  • A growing supply risk premium in recent days has baked in a rise in Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil export infrastructure, and market participants await further cues, including the Group of 7’s decisions on tightening sanctions on Moscow.
  • The American Petroleum Institute’s data for US oil stocks in the week to September 12 was bullish but did not appear to be impacting crude sentiment early Wednesday.

ARCHIVES

OIL VIEWSLETTER

Russia sanctions risk buoys crude against fears of oversupply - Sept. 12, 2025

  • Brent futures held in a narrow $65-67/bbl band this week, retracing some losses after OPEC+ added only a marginal 137,000 b/d for October—well below expectations. But prices had strengthened to well above $67 as we closed this report Friday evening in Asia, amid anticipation of tighter US and EU sanctions against Russian oil in a bid to break the Ukraine stalemate.
  • However, the shape and scope of those sanctions has become highly unpredictable, after a transatlantic game of “hot potato” between Washington and Brussels this week. Each side was asking the other to do the heavy lifting. Is it sanctions fatigue?! Finding common ground may mean the toughest of demands – such as for the EU to impose 50-100% tariffs on China and India – may be set aside in favour of the tried-and-tested designation of more shadow fleet tankers, Russia oil trade intermediaries, and perhaps this time, more Russian oil companies. 
  • Geopolitical flare-ups in Doha and Poland briefly injected risk premium but quickly faded, with no threat to oil supply.
  • At the APPEC conference in Singapore, forecasts of a looming oil supply overhang dominated discussions, with the extent of imbalance seen hinging on China’s stockpiling appetite – a major wildcard! This issue bring you key takeaways from the main conference, insights from information providers, and perspectives gathered in discussions with delegates from across the global ecosystem.

ARCHIVES

BULLS & BEARS

Aug 2025: Mildly bullish near-term, Moderately bullish H1 Sep - Aug. 22, 2025

Our latest crude price outlook:

  • Near term: Mildly Bullish 
  • First half of Sep: Moderately Bullish 

ARCHIVES

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING NOTES

Trump's Iran attack jolts markets but worst-case scenarios capped - June 22, 2025

Mideast tensions surged after the US hit Iran’s three main nuclear sites in a pre-dawn strike Sunday, marking a sharp reversal from President Trump’s earlier two-week diplomatic window.

Brent could briefly jump above $80/bbl at Monday’s open, but a quick pullback is likely as markets reassess the escalation risk.

Despite fiery rhetoric, Iran’s actual response appears measured. We do not expect a near-term blockade of Hormuz or strikes on Gulf producers’ oil assets, keeping worst-case risks contained.

Trump’s “one-and-done” signal and Tehran’s continued openness to talks raise the odds of resumed nuclear negotiations — potentially easing the $12–14/bbl risk premium, though volatility will stay elevated.

OIL RADAR

OIL IN 2025: Softer crude prices but not because of oversupply - Dec. 27, 2024

Benchmark Brent crude prices averaged just under $80/barrel in 2024, about 2.7% lower versus last year.

We expect the average to dip into the $70-75/barrel band in 2025, but not because of a sizeable oversupply in the market, let alone a “glut”. 

A sombre economic outlook for 2025, bolstered by China’s uphill battle to jump-start growth and amplified by expectations of a fresh round of trade wars under Trump 2.0, has shaped a bearish narrative around oil demand. 

But we would caution against leaning too much into the gloom-and-doom scenario. 

Crude is more likely to come under pressure from an evaporating geopolitical risk premium and worries over economic stability than any severe economic downturns or recessions.

Oil demand could remain relatively resilient, helped by softer prices, leading to a largely balanced market, especially with OPEC+ remaining extra cautious and conservative in bringing back the barrels it has locked away.

What challenges our baseline views? We also bring you the contrarian perspective and wildcards!