LONDON: One year ago, crude oil prices plunged into the abyss, wiped out by the global coronavirus pandemic and disagreement within Opec.
Twelve months on, prices have recovered and are rising, boosted by the global vaccination roll-out and brightening optimism over demand.
Oil has returned to its pre-pandemic price, hovering around $65 a barrel, with predictions from Goldman Sachs it will rise above $80 in the coming months.
Strong indications are that demand will rise in countries where Covid jabs are moving apace, according to the US investment bank.
Rival group Morgan Stanley is predicting that crude prices will rise to $70 a barrel in the third quarter, adding to normal seasonal demand.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest forecast, the fundamentals of the oil market, supply and demand, are “stronger” and better balanced.
Even Opec is more optimistic, and expects global demand for crude to rebound by six million barrels per day in 2021 to 96.5 million barrels per day.
It’s a remarkable turnaround from 12 months ago, when the benchmark price for US crude plunged below zero dollars for the first time in history.
The market fell as low as -$40.32 on April 20 as investors were caught between a lack of buyers and an inability to take delivery of barrels due to lack of available storage space.
In effect, they had to pay to get rid of the oil.
“A lot has changed since the negative price story,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, which specialises in online financial and trading services.
“Predictions have gone well ahead of themselves, many pointing at a deeper decline toward the negative $100 per barrel mark,” she told AFP.
“But none of that happened, and look, a year after, many reports are now pointing at the positive $100 per barrel level instead.”
