Oil rose in early trade on lingering risks of a prolonged U.S.-Iran war.
The U.S. Postal Service wants to impose a temporary 8% fuel surcharge for package and express deliveries to deal with rising transportation costs, which include higher oil prices as a result of the Iran war. If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the surcharge would take effect April 26 and remain in place until Jan. 17, 2027.
The damage to energy infrastructure in the Middle East caused by the war with Iran will take years and billions of dollars to repair, according to Rystad analysts.
At least 40% of Russia's oil export capacity is at a halt following Ukrainian drone attacks, a disputed attack on a major pipeline and the seizure of tankers, according to Reuters calculations based on market data.
Commercial crude oil stocks increased by 6.9 million barrels to 456.2 million barrels last week amid a drop in exports.
The light sweet crude oil market initially fell on Wednesday as US and Iranian officials are starting o communicate. However, we are still very much in the same range overall.
Hungary will gradually stop sending natural gas to Ukraine until crude oil flows on the Druzhba pipeline resume, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday, escalating a standoff with Kyiv over energy supplies disrupted by the war.
Oil prices are lower this morning; Brent Crude dipped back under the widely watched US$100/barrel mark and is down 3.6% to reach US$96 as of writing.
Global stocks jumped as tentative hopes for a diplomatic resolution to end the conflict in the Middle East grew.
Brent crude traded 5% lower on reports of U.S. ceasefire proposal.
Turkey's dependence on Middle East oil is at a minimum and "manageable" level of 10% of overall supplies and there are no supply problems at the moment despite the Iran war, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Wednesday.
Crude oil futures slip on Iran deal headlines, but ongoing regional instability and supply risks keep the long-term oil outlook bullish.