Oil prices soared in the wake of a larger-than-expected reduction in US crude stockpiles and growing expectations for an extended shutdown of a major North Sea crude pipeline.

Brent crude jumped 64 cents, or 1%, trading at $63.98 a barrel after touching a new high, breaching the $65 mark for the first time since mid-2015, according to Reuters.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased by 42 cents, or 0.7%, trading at $57.56 a barrel.

The upsurge in Brent prices was witnessed after Ineos decided to shut down the Forties pipeline system in the North Sea to undertake repair works after detecting a crack at Red Moss near Netherley, south of Aberdeen in the UK.

“The pipeline incident came just when the markets are tightening on coordinated production cuts.”

Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting senior economist Tomomichi Akuta was quoted by the news agency as saying: “The pipeline incident came just when the markets are tightening on coordinated production cuts.”

Traders noted that Brent prices were influenced by the planned shutdown of the pipeline, which carries about 450,000bpd.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In response to the shutdown, several producers, including BP and Shell, closed operations at their oil fields.

Based on data released by the American Petroleum Institute (API), crude stocks in the US fell by 7.4 million barrels.

On the other hand, gasoline stocks rose by 2.3 million barrels and distillate fuels stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, increased by 1.5 million barrels.