A maze of crude oil pipes and valves is pictured during a tour by the Department of Energy at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, U.S. June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Richard Carson
LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Oil prices rose on Monday on worries about supply disruption amid concerns about Russia-Ukraine discord and rising tensions in the Middle East, which could make an already tight market even tighter.
Brent crude rose 31 cents, or 0.4%, to $88.20 a barrel by 1009 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $85.35.
“Oil prices are profiting from supply risks and geopolitical tensions,” said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.
“Further escalation of the Ukraine conflict and the fraught security situation in the Middle East justify a risk premium on the oil price because the countries involved – Russia and the UAE – are important members of OPEC+.”
Tensions in Ukraine have been increasing for months after the Kremlin massed troops near its borders, fuelling fears of supply disruption in Eastern Europe.
The U.S. State Department announced it was ordering diplomats’ family members to leave Ukraine. read more
Energy markets are likely to be hit if tensions turn into conflict. Europe relies on Russia for about 35% of its natural gas. JPMorgan said the tensions could prompt a “material spike” in oil prices. read more
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates intercepted and destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles targeting the Gulf country on Monday after a deadly attack a week earlier. read more
Barclays, meanwhile, has raised its average oil price forecasts by $5 a barrel for this year, citing shrinking spare capacity and elevated geopolitical risks.
The bank raised its 2022 average price forecasts to $85 and $82 a barrel for Brent and WTI respectively.
Both benchmarks rose for a fifth week in a row last week, gaining about 2% to their highest since October 2014.
Oil prices are up more than 10% this year on the concerns over tightening supplies, apparently out of sync with global equities markets that are bruised from a massive sell-off triggered by concerns over tighter monetary policy around the globe.
The oil market is also tight, with OPEC+ struggling to hit its targeted monthly output increase of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd). read more Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London Additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi Editing by David Goodman
This article was originally published by Reuters.
Ghada Ashour, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative Dubai, UAE, 8th December, 2025: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship programme, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport. Ghada grew up in Gaza where she has been studying remotely until gaining her place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Becoming the fifth scholar to join the scholarship, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and her strong passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of everyone participating in sport. Launched in 2023, the programme offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport with a focus on developing practical solutions. Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake invaluable research at DCU based on their project proposals, dedication to achieving positive social change, and their unique perspectives approaching this issue. Ghada’s thesis, which will be printed in English and translated into Arabic, will focus specifically on the …
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