At what level should OPEC support oil prices?
*Barron's, by Masood Farivar, October 9, 2006:
Forget About $50 Oil
"THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO EXPECT OIL PRICES to continue the slide
that began in late summer.
U.S. petroleum inventories have swelled to historically high levels,
worries that the nuclear standoff with Iran will disrupt Persian Gulf
oil supplies have diminished, and slowing global economic growth is
seen curbing demand for petroleum products. Some of the more bearish
voices in the oil markets are starting to talk about oil falling to
$50, or even below.
The big sticking point: the threat of a production cut by the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls about 40%
of the global oil supply. That prospect, analysts say, should keep
prices well above $50 for the foreseeable future.
"All of the things that were propping prices up are gone, and now just
the prospect of a cut from OPEC would keep prices high," says Mary
Novak, managing director of energy services at Global Insight in
Lexington, Mass.
Global Insight expects benchmark West Texas Intermediate prices to
average $63 a barrel in the fourth quarter and $66 next year. Most
analysts call for prices in the high $50s and low $60s into 2007.
As oil futures in New York continued their slide last week and dropped
below $60 for the first time in eight months, reports circulated that
worried OPEC members had begun mulling a production cut."
*This information is solely a highlight of the opinion of a third-party publication and is incomplete. Please subscribe to this publication for the full and timely opinion of the author and call a Monex Account Representative for any additional up-to-date information. This is not an offer to buy or sell precious metals. Investors should obtain advice based on their own individual circumstances and understand the risk before making any investment decision.
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