During the Asian trading hours, the crude oil and Brent oil prices jumped after the Russia-Ukraine talks didn’t show progress. Oil prices have been volatile in the past weeks, reaching record highs in March before diving more than 20% last week, below $100 a barrel.
The Russia-Ukraine situation has led to fears over supply disruptions because of US sanctions on Russian oil & gas. The UK and European Union announced that they would also phase out Russian fossil fuel. According to data from Goldman Sachs, in 2021, Russia supplied 11% of global oil consumption and 17% of global gas usage, and 40% of Western European gas consumption. Later this week, European Union governments and US President Joe Biden are set to meet, as the former considers an oil embargo on Russia.
Tight supply spooks the markets, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) calling for “emergency measures” to reduce oil usage. In its 10-point plan, the IEA suggests reducing demand by lowering the speed limit for vehicles, working from home for three days/week, and avoiding air travel for business. “We estimate that the full implementation of these measures in advanced economies alone can cut oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day within the next four months, relative to current levels,” IEA officials stated.
Brent oil and crude oil traded at $111.46 per barrel and $108.25/barrel.
Sources: cnbc.com, reuters.com