Oil's Reality Check: When More Supply Trumps War Fears

(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Oil prices tumbled Monday morning, ending a week-long rally that had lifted crude to seven-week highs.

The retreat reveals a harsh market truth: supply fundamentals ultimately matter more than geopolitical drama, even when that drama involves bombing oil refineries.

WTI crude fell nearly 1% to $65.07 per barrel while Brent dropped to $69.50, wiping out gains that had pushed both benchmarks above key psychological levels last week.

The selloff came as traders digested weekend news that Iraq would restart oil exports from its Kurdish region after more than two years of political deadlock.

The Kurdish export resumption adds 180,000 barrels daily to global markets immediately, growing to 230,000 barrels within months.

For context, that equals roughly half of what the entire Netherlands consumes daily. This fresh supply arrives precisely when the world's largest oil producers prepare to open the taps further.



OPEC and its allies plan to add another 137,000 barrels per day at their October 5 meeting, continuing a systematic unwinding of production cuts that began in April.

The producer group has already added 2.5 million barrels daily to world markets this year, equivalent to the entire oil consumption of Germany.

The market's shift highlights how quickly trader psychology can change. Last week belonged to Ukrainian drones striking Russian refineries.

Ukrainian forces have successfully targeted 16 of Russia's 38 oil facilities since August, knocking out 1.1 million barrels of daily refining capacity. That forced Moscow to ban diesel exports and extend gasoline export restrictions through year-end.

Yet Monday's price action suggests traders now view these supply disruptions as temporary compared to the permanent increase in production capacity.

Technical indicators support this bearish shift. Brent crude shows oversold conditions with its momentum indicator at deeply negative levels, while WTI displays mixed signals that lean toward further weakness.

The Global Liquidity Index, tracked by central bank watchers worldwide, has risen steadily from 94,000 to 99,000 over recent months. This liquidity expansion typically supports commodity prices, but appears overwhelmed by supply concerns.

Behind the numbers lies a strategic battle for market share. OPEC producers, led by Saudi Arabia, chose higher production over higher prices.

They calculate that capturing market share now matters more than maximizing short-term revenue, especially with non-OPEC producers like the United States continuing to pump record amounts.

Goldman Sachs warns this strategy will create a massive oil glut by 2026, with surplus production reaching 1.9 million barrels daily. The bank expects Brent crude to fall to the mid-$50s next year, roughly 20% below current levels.

The morning's price decline reveals oil's fundamental equation remains unchanged: when supply grows faster than demand, prices fall regardless of geopolitical fireworks.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure created spectacular headlines and temporary price spikes, but cannot overcome the arithmetic of global production increases.

Market participants now face a critical test at the October OPEC meeting. Producers must decide whether geopolitical risks justify restraining output growth, or whether the race for market share continues despite war raging in major oil-producing regions.

The answer will determine whether oil prices can hold above $65 per barrel or slide toward the $50s that analysts increasingly view as inevitable.

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