Goldman Sachs states that oil prices are facing two-sided risks, with soft demand competing against supply reductions in the Middle East stemming from the conflict involving Iran.
The Iran conflict has disrupted the global oil market, sharply reducing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz from Persian Gulf producers and leading to millions of barrels of production being shut in. Since the outbreak of hostilities in February, benchmark Brent crude prices have risen by more than a quarter, contributing to a contraction in demand, particularly for jet fuel and petrochemical feedstocks.
"We believe supply disruptions in the Middle East could persist for longer, presenting significant upside price risk; however, demand weakness also presents considerable downside risk for oil prices," the Goldman Sachs analysts said.
Comments