Benchmark Brent sees biggest 1-day fall in 2 years

NEW YORK — Global benchmark Brent crude oil had its biggest one-day drop in two years on Wednesday as escalating USChina trade tensions threatened to hurt oil demand, and news that Libya would reopen its ports raised expectations of growing supply.

Brent crude fell $5.46, or 6.9%, to settle at $73.40 a barrel. The decline was the largest one-day move on a percentage basis since Feb. 9, 2016. US crude fell $3.73, or 5%, to $70.38 a barrel.

The sell-off began early in the session after Libya’s National Oil Company said it would reopen ports which had been closed since late June.

“The headline on Libya was merely the trigger,” said John Saucer, a vice-president at advisory firm Mobius Risk Group. The sell-off intensified after news of a fall in US crude oil inventories failed to reverse market sentiment. “The scope of today’s selloff is unequivocally a speculative washout.”

Hedge funds and other money managers with bullish wagers appeared to pare long positions, pulling back from positions added as crude approached three and a half year highs last month, Mr. Saucer said.

The selling pressure intensified as trade tensions between the US and China raised concerns about demand.

The specter of tariffs on a further $200 billion of Chinese goods sent commodities lower, along with stock markets, as tension between the world’s biggest economies intensified.

“Escalating trade tensions between the US and China has prompted risk aversion in today’s trading session, which is evident in oil prices,” said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy.

Crude oil prices also fell as the US dollar rose on Wednesday’s surprisingly strong US inflation report, which increased prospects the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates twice more this year.

A stronger dollar can weaken dollar- denominated commodities, like crude.

“Trade concerns have bitten today,” said Michael McCarthy, chief markets strategist at CMC Markets.

“If these tariffs are introduced, there will be an impact on global growth and demand.” China is a top buyer of US crude, and has said it could tax US oil if trade tensions escalate.

Tripoli-based Libya National Oil Corp. (NOC) said on Wednesday four export terminals were being reopened after eastern factions handed over the ports, ending a standoff that had shut down most of Libya’s oil output.

Libyan oil production has fallen to 527,000 barrels per day ( bpd) from a high of 1.28 million bpd in February following port closures in late June, the NOC said on Monday.

“Libyan relief changes the conversation about spare capacity,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management. Concerns about a lack of spare capacity had led crude to rally.

Prospects of US sanctions on crude exports from Iran, the world’s fifth-biggest oil producer, has helped push oil prices up in recent weeks, with both crude contracts trading near 3-1/2-year highs until Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that Washington would consider requests from some countries to be exempt from sanctions due to go into effect in November to prevent Iran from exporting oil. —