VOL. XLIV

No. 07

12-February-2001

CRUDE OIL/LPG PRICES

Short-Term Forces Keep CrudePrices High Despite Slowing Refinery Demand

Crude oil prices continued strongin the wake of OPECs decision to cut output by 1.5mn b/d from 1 February, witha number of short-term bullish forces overwhelming generally bearish marketfundamentals, chiefly slowing demand by refiners. Trading in WTI and Brentcrude was given an unexpected boost on 6 February, when the US Department ofEnergys latest monthly forecast...