Oil prices rose by more than a dollar a barrel on Friday and were on track for a sixth consecutive week of gains after Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world’s second- and third-largest crude producers, pledged to extend supply cuts through September. Brent crude futures rose by $1.32, or 1.6%, to $86.46 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.47, or 1.8%, to $83.02 a barrel. Both benchmarks hit their highest levels since mid-April on Friday and were set for their longest streak of weekly gains so far this year. Saudi Arabia on Thursday extended a voluntary oil production cut of 1 million barrels per day to the end of September, keeping the door open for another extension. Russia has also elected to reduce its oil exports by 300,000 barrels per day next month. “With the production cut extended, we anticipate a market deficit of more than 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, following an estimated deficit of around 2 million bpd in July and August,” UBS analysts wrote in a note.
On the demand front, global oil consumption could grow by 2.4 million bpd this year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday after a ministerial panel meeting of the OPEC+ group – the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies. The meeting yielded no changes to output policy. The panel noted that it could take additional measures at any time, which could mean additional cuts if market conditions worsen, the UBS note added. UBS said it expects Brent prices to trade in the $85 to $90 per barrel range over the coming months. Weighing on oil prices, data released on Friday showed the U.S. economy maintained a moderate pace of job growth in July, but solid wage gains and a decline in the unemployment rate pointed to continued tightness in labor market conditions.
