OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report, July 2020

Crude Oil Price Movements

Spot crude oil prices rose further in July, the third consecutive monthly increase. The OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) averaged $43.42/b in July, gaining $6.37 over the previous month to reach its highest value since February this year. The ORB year-to-date average is $39.85/b. Crude oil futures also rose in July, again for the third consecutive month. ICE Brent ended the month $2.45 higher at $43.22/b, while NYMEX WTI rose by $2.45 to reach $40.77/b. The Brent-WTI spread remained unchanged at $2.46/b. Futures prices rose given continued improvement in oil market fundamentals and bullish economic data. All three futures market structures were in contango in July, with the forward curves steepening late in the month. Hedge funds and other money managers turned less positive on oil prices by the end of July, cutting their bullish bets on crude oil futures and options close to two-month lows.

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