Oil Gains in New York as U.S. Supplies, China Demand Counter Europe Debt

Oil climbed in New York as signs of shrinking crude stockpiles in the U.S. and rising demand in China countered speculation that Europe’s debt crisis will temper fuel demand.
Futures advanced as much as 0.5 percent before a report tomorrow that may show U.S. inventories dropped a seventh week. Prices also rose after China said its apparent fuel consumption rose 7.2 percent in the first half. Crude slipped yesterday amid concern Europe’s leaders will be unable to agree on steps to contain the region’s debt crisis at a summit this week.
“It’s summer drive-time, inventories are coming back a bit and people are suggesting that the economy is not going to falter,” said Jonathan Barratt, a managing director of Commodity Broking Services Pty in Sydney, who predicts oil in New York will average $100 a barrel this year. “The market’s not decided as to what the consequences are to oil yet” from the debt situation, he said.
Crude for August delivery gained as much as 45 cents to $96.38 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $96.18 at 12:08 p.m. Sydney time. The contract yesterday declined $1.31 to $95.93, the lowest since July 14. Prices are up 26 percent the past year. The more actively traded September future climbed 22 cents to $96.47.
Brent oil for September settlement rose as much as 45 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $116.50 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices are 54 percent higher the past year.

Crude Stockpiles

Brent crude may climb to more than $123 a barrel if prices can exceed a series of “swing highs,” according to technical analysts FuturesTechs.com Ltd. The contract may advance to $123.22 if it breaks through a sequence of pivot points formed by earlier peaks, beginning at $119.86 to $119.87, FuturesTechs said in a report yesterday.
The Energy Department report may show U.S. crude supplies fell 1.5 million barrels for a seventh week in the seven days ended July 15, according to the median of 10 analyst estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. Gasoline inventories probably slid 100,000 barrels from 211.7 million, the survey shows.
Bret, the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is moving northeast away from the coast of Florida on a track that will take it out to sea, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Dora formed yesterday about 400 miles (644 kilometers) south-southeast of Salina Cruz, Mexico, the center said.
International Energy Agency member nations are likely to decide against offering more oil after last month’s stockpile release failed to curb prices and Middle East output rose, according to a Bloomberg News survey. The IEA will say on about July 23 whether they will continue emergency sales to make up for supply choked off by the Libyan conflict.