Oil edges up on lower US rig count, but still below recent highs

SINGAPORE — Oil prices firmed on Monday on the back of a slight decline in the number of US rigs drilling for new production, with crude holding just below near three-year highs reached last week.

US West Texas Intermediate ( WTI) crude futures were at $61.62 a barrel at 0344 GMT, 18 cents, or 0.30%, above their last settlement, and not far off the $ 62.21 May 2015 high reached last week. Brent crude futures were at $67.77 a barrel, 15 cents, or 0.20%, above their last close. Brent hit $68.27 high last week, the highest since May 2015.

Traders said the gains were due to a slight decline in the number of US rigs drilling for new production, which eased by five in the week to Jan. 5, to 742, according to data from oil services firm Baker Hughes.

Despite this, US production is expected to break through 10 million barrels per day very soon, largely thanks to soaring output from shale drillers. Only top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia produce more.

“The US oil price is now into a range that is anticipated to attract increased shale oil production,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney. “Traders may decide that discretion is the better part of valor while markets wait on evidence of what happens to the rig count and production levels over the next couple of months.”

Rising US output is the main factor countering production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and by Russia, which began in January last year and are set to last through 2018. —