by Zardoz » Mon 15 Oct 2007, 10:03:39
CNN says it's mostly reduced inventories that's doing this:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')il prices kept rising Monday after closing at a new record in the previous session on worries that supplies are insufficient to meet coming winter demand and concerns over the conflict between Turkey and Kurds in northern Iraq.
Light, sweet crude for November delivery added $1.13 to $84.82 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midday in Europe, rising to a new high of $85.19 before receding slightly.
Recent reports have indicated that crude inventories are falling. Last week, the U.S. Energy Department reported that U.S. oil supplies declined in the week ended Oct. 5, while the International Energy Agency said that oil inventories held by the world's largest industrialized countries have fallen below a five-year average.
"One of the factors that has provided underlying support to oil prices in recent weeks has been concerns that if we move into the Northern (Hemisphere) winter that oil market conditions are likely to remain tight," said David Moore, commodity strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney.
But not to worry! It's all an "anomaly", and we'll see relatively cheap oil again soon:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')ome analysts think the supply shortfall in last week's U.S. Energy Department inventory report is an anomaly. They doubt demand is as strong as recent forecasts by the department and the IEA suggest. These analysts expect oil prices will soon begin a seasonal decline to
$70 a barrel, or lower.