Oil steady as investors weigh weak demand, potential delay to OPEC+ output hike

Oil was attempting to hold its line in early trade on Thursday after an overnight sell-off, as players grappled with weak demand alongside a possible delay to more supply entering the market next month.

Brent crude futures for November rose 9 cents, or 0.12%, to $72.79 at 0002 GMT after dropping 1.42% in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for October were up 12 cents, or 0.17%, to $69.32 after dropping 1.62% on Wednesday.

Both benchmarks settled $1 lower at Wednesday’s close.

OPEC+ is discussing delaying its oil output increase, scheduled to start in October after oil prices tanked to a nine-month low on Sept. 3, four sources from the producer group told Reuters on Wednesday.

Last week, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia (OPEC+) was set to proceed with its 180,000 barrels-per-day output hike in October, part of a plan to gradually unwind its most recent cuts of 2.2 million bpd. But an end to a dispute halting Libyan exports and soft Chinese demand culminating in oil hitting multi-month lows drove the group to reconsider. “The (OPEC+) report brought some relief to markets in early trading,” ANZ analysts said in a note. However demand concerns following news that China’s factory activity contracted for a fourth straight month in August added pressure, ANZ added.

Data published over the weekend by the Chinese government revealed the country’s manufacturing activity sank to a six-month low last month as factory gate prices tumbled and owners struggled for orders.

China is the world’s largest crude importer.

Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil and fuel inventories fell last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Wednesday.

The API figures showed crude stocks fell by 7.431 million barrels in the week ended Aug. 30, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity, compared with analysts’ expectation in a Reuters poll of a one-million barrel draw.

The market awaits weekly U.S. oil stocks data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), due to be released on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).