Oil steady as Saudi Arabia pledges to play ‘responsible role’ in market

By Henning Gloystein

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Oil prices were steady on Tuesday as Saudi Arabia pledged to play a “responsible role” in energy markets, although sentiment remained nervous in the run-up to U.S. sanctions against Iran’s crude exports that start next month.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures () were trading at $79.87 a barrel at 0120 GMT, 4 cents above their last close.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures () were at $69.41 a barrel, up 5 cents from their last settlement.

U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil exports are due to kick off on Nov. 4, with Washington pressuring governments and companies worldwide to fall in line and cut imports from the Middle Eastern nation.

Top crude oil exporter Saudi Arabia has pledged to keep markets supplied despite its increasing isolation over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

There has been concern that just as markets tighten on the back of the U.S. sanctions against Iran, Saudi Arabia could cut crude supply in retaliation for potential sanctions against it over the Khashoggi killing.

“Iran oil sanctions and Jamal Khashoggi’s saga are clear examples of the indisputable role geopolitics play in oil, and this is expected to impact oil price and volatility at a time when markets are just about balanced,” U.S. bank J.P. Morgan said in a note to clients.

Dismissing such concerns, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that “there is no intention” for such action, and that Saudi Arabia would play a “constructive and responsible role” in world energy markets.

In the financial industry, traders have been curbing their exposure to oil markets by shutting long positions in crude futures, with fund managers cutting their combined positions by a total of 187 million barrels in the last three weeks, according to exchange and regulatory data.

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