Oil prices rise as US crude and fuel inventories seen shrinking

NEW YORK – Falling US crude inventories caused oil prices to rebound on Wednesday after several days of decline, while expectations for a nearing ceasefire deal in the Middle East kept prices from continuing to climb.

Brent crude futures for September rose 46 cents to USD 81.47 a barrel by 0020 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 42 cents to USD 77.38 per barrel.

US crude oil, gasoline and distillate inventories fell last week, according to market sources citing the American Petroleum Institute (API), a trade organization.

Benchmarks picked up accordingly. WTI had lost 7% over the previous four sessions and Brent shed nearly 5% in the previous three.

The API figures showed crude stocks falling by 3.9 million barrels in the week ended July 19, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories fell by 2.8 million barrels and distillates shed 1.5 million barrels.

That would be the first time crude stocks in the United States fell for four weeks in a row since September 2023.

Official government data on oil inventory data is due for release on Wednesday.

Oil prices fell to a six-week low on Tuesday, with Brent closing at its lowest level since June 9 on ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in a plan outlined by US President Joe Biden in May and mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

Prices also suffered on continued concern that economic softening in China, which is the world’s biggest crude importer, would weaken global oil demand.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Christopher Cushing)