West Texas
Intermediate crude fell for a second day amid speculation that the Federal
Reserve will reduce stimulus measures next month, curbing investors’ appetite
for commodities.
Futures
slid as much as 1.8 percent. Minutes from the Fed’s July meeting, scheduled to
be published tomorrow, will probably provide details about deliberations on
when to taper $85 billion in monthly bond buying. Government data tomorrow may
show that
Es Sider,
the largest Libyan oil terminal with a capacity of 350,000 barrels of day, has
been shut since July 28 because of the petroleum guard protest. State-run
National Oil Corp. halted exports of crude and refined products from the Es
Sider, Ras Lanuf, Zueitina and Brega terminals, according to a document
obtained by Bloomberg.
The country
produced 800,000 barrels a day last month, half the rate pumped a year earlier,
according to a Bloomberg survey of output from the 12-member Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries. Libya holds Africa’s largest oil reserves.
WTI for
September delivery dropped 88 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $106.22 a barrel at
11:05 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It slipped 0.3 percent
yesterday, snapping a six-day rally that was the longest since April 25.
The
September contract expires at the close of floor trading today. The more-active
October contract decreased 70 cents to $106.16. Trading volume was about 7.1
percent below the 100-day average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Brent for
October settlement slid 26 cents to $109.64 on the London-based ICE Futures
Europe exchange. Volume was 16 percent below 100-day average. Brent’s premium
over WTI widened for the first time in three days to $3.48.