Quarterly Oil Market Update - Q3 2017: (OPEC's big decision)
Oil Market ReportIn its latest monthly oil report, OPEC has raised global oil demand forecasts for the third consecutive month, underlining the bullish tone towards oil prices in recent months. These revisions combined with geopolitical developments in Iraq helped push Brent oil prices up 6 percent quarter-on-quarter in Q3 2017, to an average of $52 per barrel (pb). More recently, rising expectations related to OPEC rolling over cuts in an upcoming meeting and regional geopolitical tensions have pushed Brent crude oil prices back above $60 pb. Prices are likely to remain elevated in the near term due to continued regional geopolitical tensions.
Shale Oil 2.0
Oil Market ReportThe recently observed uptick in oil prices has given many US shale oil producers the opportunity to expand production. Latest forecasts from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) see US oil production rising by 10 percent year-on-year in 2017, and 3.3 percent in 2018. Nevertheless, shale oil exploration and production (E&P) companies face a number of potential ‘bumps in road that could hinder their progress and recovery in the near-to-medium term. Besides higher borrowing costs, shale oil producers also face the possibility of constrained capacity leading to inflated operating costs. One area where costs are likely to rise is related to oilfield services, which includes the cost of rigs, equipment and personnel.
