Business
Oil jumps 2%, settles at 6-month high on fears of Iran war escalation
Oil
Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Friday and settled at their highest levels since the end of April, as traders braced for a potential escalation in the Iran war after the US midterm elections, with an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting supply risks.
Brent crude futures settled at $117.64 a barrel, and US WTI crude finished at $104.12 a barrel. For the week, Brent rose 0.8% and WTI was up 0.8%.
The US ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia effective 23 October due to safety risks, the US embassy in Riyadh said on Friday, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure.
Gas
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rose for a fourth consecutive week to a new multi-year high on persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, while Asian buying interest and expectations of stronger winter demand lent additional support.
In Europe, the Dutch TTF gas price settled at $33.97 per mmBtu, posting a weekly gain of 10.7%. Weather forecasts in Asia and Europe had shifted colder in the last week, creating more winter demand and increasing competition for LNG cargoes. Uncertainty over the duration of the cold spell, combined with ongoing geopolitical tensions, added to the market volatility.
This article was supplied by the Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development.