El petróleo retoma su escalada y vuelve a superar los 109 dólares

Oil prices have resumed their upward trend and are nearing the 109 dollar mark once again. Following yesterday's slight decline at day's end, Brent crude, the European benchmark, has once more surpassed the 109 dollar threshold, climbing by over 3%. Simultaneously, West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose by 4.3% and edged closer to the 106 dollar mark.

Market participants continue to assess the impact of Saudi Arabia's decision to shutter its East-West pipeline, the sole route avoiding the narrow Strait of Hormuz, in the wake of recent drone attacks. According to Bloomberg, Saudi state oil company Saudi Aramco is postponing crude shipments to certain European clients due to the closure of this facility, which spans approximately 1,200 kilometers and has a daily capacity of 7 million barrels.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted on CNBC that the disruption will be measured in days and expressed confidence in a swift reopening, though the Saudi regime has not specified a date. In the United Kingdom, concerns prevail that the pipeline may remain largely closed for six weeks. In April, Iranian attacks targeted a station on the East-West pipeline, causing a loss of about 700,000 barrels per day in throughput, though pumping was later fully restored.

Additionally, production has come to a halt at several oil fields in Libya. Consequently, the nation may declare force majeure on its production following the closure of the Hamada-Zawiya pipeline. Today's price surge brings Brent crude back to almost a 79% revaluation year-to-date, while West Texas Intermediate outperforms with an 84% gain.

Yesterday, crude prices softened following Trump's assurance that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to refrain from targeting energy facilities. Meanwhile, Oman's state news agency reported talks with the U.S. to ease the upward trajectory in the Middle East.