International oil prices rose again on Friday and finally managed to escape the corridor in which they have operated since October, thanks to the beginning of the new year and the hope of a positive evolution in the relationship between the United States and China.
In New York, the barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) maturing in February rose 1.13%, to $73.96.
On the other hand, in London, the price of a barrel of North Sea Brent for delivery in March it gained 0.76%, to close at $76.51.
Both Brent and WTI recorded their fifth consecutive positive session and are now at their highest level in the last two and a half months.
For Susannah Streeter, of Hargreaves Lansdown, traders were satisfied with the fall in US crude oil stocks announced on Wednesday by the Energy Information Agency (EIA), although the decline was smaller than expected by market analysts. . .
These commercial reserves are 3.6% lower than the level at the same time last year and had not been as low at this time of year as hit was ten years ago.
“We’re breaking out of this range we’ve been in for two months and now we’re looking ahead,” said Stephen Schork of Schork Group.
The analyst mentions the latest events in the Middle East, such as Israel’s new attacks on Syrian territory to prevent the arsenal held by the government of the ousted Bashar al Assad era from falling into the hands of the coalition of rebels that overthrew him and that has Islamist factions.
For Schork, the market is also “excited by the prospect of a new US government that is clearly pro-oil and gas.”
The president-elect, Republican Donald Trump, will take office on January 20 and had already announced that he intends to promote the extraction of fossil energy sources, which could further increase the already abundant supply of black gold, something negative for prices. .
