Against expectations, oil and gas remain cheap

IN THE months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, any hint of bad news sent energy prices into the stratosphere. When a fire forced an American gas plant to close, strikes clogged French oil terminals, Russia demanded Europe pay for fuel in roubles or the weather looked grimmer than usual, markets went wild.

Since January, however, things have been different. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has hovered around US$75 a barrel, compared with US$120 a year ago. In Europe, gas prices, at 35 euros (S$51.35) per megawatt-hour (MWh), are 88 per cent below their peak in August.

It is not that the news has suddenly become more amenable. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its allies have announced swingeing cuts to output. In America, the number of oil and gas rigs has fallen for seven weeks in a row, as producers respond to the meagre rewards on offer. Several of Norway’s gas facilities – now vital to Europe – are in prolonged maintenance. The Netherlands is closing the largest gas field in Europe.