LONDON—Oil prices jumped more than 4% on Nov. 16, recouping the previous session’s losses after Moderna Inc. said its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19.
Brent crude futures for January were up $1.79, or 4.2%, to $44.57 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for December was up $1.84, or 4.6%, at $41.97.
“Vaccine euphoria has already been priced in heavily since last week, but a second remedy to COVID-19 shows that a large-scale vaccination program, with sufficient amounts for the global population, is somewhat closer now,” said Rystad Energy analyst Louise Dickson.
The announcement by Moderna comes after Pfizer Inc. reported last week that its vaccine was more than 90% effective, raising hopes that pandemic-driven damage to the global economy could be reduced.
Prices were also buoyed by data showing a rebound in China and Japan, with figures showing that Chinese refineries processed record daily levels of crude in October.
Both WTI and Brent gained more than 8% last week on hopes of a vaccine and expectation that OPEC and its allies, including Russia, would maintain lower output next year to support prices.
The group, known as OPEC+, has been cutting production by about 7.7 million barrels a day (MMbbl/d), with compliance seen at 96% in October, and had planned to increase output by 2 MMbbl/d from January.
OPEC+ is set to hold a ministerial committee meeting on Nov. 17 that could recommend changes to production quotas when all the ministers meet on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
“There is no denying that the oil market is fully in the hands of OPEC+,” said SEB chief commodity analyst Bjarne Schieldrop. “The organization is the only reason why oil prices today are not $20 a barrel. As such, their upcoming meeting on Nov 30-Dec 1 is no less hugely important.”
Recommended Reading
Bottlenecks Holding US Back from NatGas, LNG Dominance
2025-03-13 - North America’s natural gas abundance positions the region to be a reliable power supplier. But regulatory factors are holding the industry back from fully tackling the global energy crisis, experts at CERAWeek said.
LNG, Data Centers, Winter Freeze Offer Promise for NatGas in ‘25
2025-02-06 - New LNG export capacity and new gas-fired power demand have prices for 2025 gas and beyond much higher than the early 2024 outlook expected. And kicking the year off: a 21-day freeze across the U.S.
Expand CFO: ‘Durable’ LNG, Not AI, to Drive US NatGas Demand
2025-02-14 - About three-quarters of future U.S. gas demand growth will be fueled by LNG exports, while data centers’ needs will be more muted, according to Expand Energy CFO Mohit Singh.
Dallas Fed: Trump Can Cut Red Tape, but Raising Prices Trickier
2025-01-02 - U.S. oil and gas executives expect fewer regulatory headaches under Trump but some see oil prices sliding, according to the fourth-quarter Dallas Fed Energy Survey.
Segrist: American LNG Unaffected by Cut-Off of Russian Gas Supply
2025-02-24 - The last gas pipeline connecting Russia to Western Europe has shut down, but don’t expect a follow-on effect for U.S. LNG demand.