LONDON: Oil prices rose on Thursday after rallying on an unexpected drop in US crude inventories in the previous session, as investors awaited the outcome of US-Iran nuclear talks that could add crude supplies quickly to global markets.
Brent crude futures rose 88 cents, or 1%, to $92.43 a barrel at 1325 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $90.71 a barrel, up $1.05, or 1.2%.
Robust demand recovery from the coronavirus pandemic has kept global oil supplies snug, with inventories at key fuel hubs globally hovering at multi-year lows.
US crude inventories fell 4.8 million barrels in the week to Feb. 4, dropping to 410.4 million barrels - their lowest for commercial inventories since October 2018, the Energy Information Administration said. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a 369,000-barrel rise.
US product supplied - the best proxy for demand - peaked at 21.9 million barrels per day (bpd) over the past four weeks due to strong economic activity nationwide, EIA data showed.
Oil prices mixed, even after big drop in US crude stocks
"We are seeing some consolidation after a fairly constructive EIA report," said Warren Patterson, ING's head of commodities research.
However, investors are closely watching the outcome of US-Iran nuclear talks which resumed this week. A deal could lift US sanctions on Iranian oil and ease global supply tightness.
The White House publicly pressured Iran on Wednesday to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement quickly, saying that it will be impossible to return to the accord if a deal is not struck within weeks.
Overall, thin supplies of crude oil, low storage and global output that is nearing a maximum are all working to drive up prices, according to Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).
"Oil markets remain extremely tight playing into our bullish thesis that the simultaneous deficit of depleting inventories, thinning spare capacity and structural underinvestments are blending towards extremely distressed levels".
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