Oil prices continue to decline on Asian market

Oil prices in Asia Tuesday extended losses of nearly a dollar the previous session amid worries that crude prices have risen too high in recent weeks and on speculation that recent OPEC comments may signal a less bullish position on production and supplies.

Photo: Oil prices continue to decline on Asian market

Light, sweet crude for September delivery lost 29 cents to US$74.60 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, mid-afternoon in Singapore. The contract fell 90 cents Monday to US$74.89 a barrel.

September Brent crude dropped 22 cents to US$76.64 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

A fair price for crude oil is between US$60 and US$65 a barrel, Hasan Qabazard, head of research for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, told Dow Jones Newswires Monday, leading some to conclude the cartel may be open to reversing its long-held position that oil supplies are adequate.

Qabazard's comment came after other comments from OPEC President Mohammed al-Hamli, reported Sunday, that the group is concerned about the impact of higher oil prices.

"The OPEC comments gave traders a good opportunity to take profit as it was really too high," said Koichi Murakami, an analyst with Tokyo brokerage Daiichi Shohin.

Energy traders were most focused on the prospect that OPEC could boost output, analysts said. The group has maintained for months that high oil prices are not its fault, and analysts have criticized OPEC for cutting production this year.

Qabazard, however, stopped short of announcing the cartel will increase output, saying that while prices are hovering above his target range, he sees no reason for OPEC to increase output at its September meeting.

Al-Hamli said as well that it is not yet clear whether production will be raised by the end of the year.

Market participants were also eyeing the Wednesday release of weekly U.S. government data on the country's fuel inventories.

Analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires expect the U.S. Energy Information Administration's report to show gasoline stockpiles grew by 510,000 barrels last week. Distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, are forecast to have gained 730,000 barrels. Crude oil stocks are seen falling 1.1 million barrels.

U.S. refinery use is expected to have grown 0.8 percentage point to 91.8 percent of operable capacity. If the forecasts for refinery usage ring true, it will be the highest use level since September 2006. The average for this time of year is 94 percent.

Nymex heating oil futures lost 0.14 cent to US$2.0547 a gallon (3.8 liters). Gasoline prices lost 0.65 cent to US$2.0976 a gallon.

Natural gas futures dropped 1.2 cents to US$6.027 per 1,000 cubic feet.