WTI extends its decline below $76.50 as Trump vows to boost oil output
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Lallalit Srijandorn
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WTI extends its decline below $76.50 as Trump vows to boost oil output

  • WTI price trades in negative territory near $76.15 in Tuesday's early Asian session. 
  • US President Donald Trump promised to boost US crude production, weighing on the WTI price. 
  • The upbeat Chinese economic data could cap the downside for the black gold. 

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $76.15 on Tuesday. The WTI price attracts some sellers as traders await a flurry of executive orders from US President Donald Trump following his inauguration.

Trump announced on Monday that he would immediately declare a national energy emergency, promising to fill up strategic reserves and use the authority to rapidly approve new oil, gas, and electricity projects that would normally take years to get permits.

Trump’s administration will push for more oil and gas production as well as consumption in the United States, which might drag the WTI price lower. “The inflation crisis (in the US) was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again,” Trump said.

The upside for the WTI price might be capped amid the easing tension in the Middle East. On Sunday, Hamas and Israel swapped hostages and inmates, marking the start of a truce after 15 months of conflict.

On the other hand, the encouraging Chinese economic data could support black gold, as China is the world's biggest crude importer. China’s economy grew 5.4% YoY in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, compared to a 4.6% expansion in Q3. This reading came in stronger than the 5% expected by a wide margin. 

WTI Oil FAQs

WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.

Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.

The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.