The global oil market witnessed a significant surge in prices as political upheaval rocked two of the world’s largest crude producers, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, rose above $84 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil climbed over the $80 threshold.

The sudden spike in oil prices followed a tragic incident in Iran, where President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian lost their lives in a helicopter crash.

Simultaneously, apprehensions over the health of Saudi Arabia’s king added to the geopolitical tensions gripping the oil market.

Saudi Arabia stands as the leading producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), while Iran ranks as the third-largest.

Despite these significant developments, there are no immediate indications of disruptions to oil supply from either nation.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reassured that the country’s affairs would continue without interruption in the aftermath of the tragic event.

However, the geopolitical landscape remains fraught with additional concerns, amplifying market volatility.

In Ukraine, drone attacks persist on Russian refining facilities, exacerbating tensions between the two nations.

Moreover, a China-bound oil tanker fell victim to a Houthi missile strike in the Red Sea, further fueling anxiety over supply disruptions.

Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy for ING Groep NV in Singapore, remarked on the market’s reaction to geopolitical events, noting a certain desensitization due to ample spare production capacity within OPEC.

He emphasized the need for clarity from OPEC+ regarding output policies to potentially break the current price range.

While global benchmark Brent has experienced a 9% increase year-to-date, largely driven by OPEC+ supply cuts, prices had cooled off since mid-April amidst easing geopolitical tensions.

Attention now turns to the upcoming OPEC+ meeting scheduled for June 1, with market observers anticipating a continuation of existing production curbs.

Despite the surge in oil prices, there’s a growing sense of bearishness among hedge funds, evidenced by the reduction of net long positions on Brent for a second consecutive week.

This sentiment extends to bets on rising gasoline prices ahead of the US summer driving season, indicating a cautious outlook among investors.

As the oil market grapples with geopolitical uncertainties and supply dynamics, stakeholders await further developments and policy decisions from key players to navigate the evolving landscape effectively.

The coming weeks are poised to be critical in determining the trajectory of oil prices amidst a backdrop of geopolitical turmoil and market volatility.

The Dangote Mega Refinery, situated near Lagos, Nigeria, is embarking on an ambitious plan to procure millions of barrels of US crude over the next year.

The refinery, established by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual, has issued a term tender for the purchase of 2 million barrels a month of West Texas Intermediate Midland crude for a duration of 12 months, commencing in July.

This development revealed through a document obtained by Bloomberg, represents a shift in strategy for the refinery, which has opted for US oil imports due to constraints in the availability and reliability of Nigerian crude.

Elitsa Georgieva, Executive Director at Citac, an energy consultancy specializing in the African downstream sector, emphasized the allure of US crude for Dangote’s refinery.

Georgieva highlighted the challenges associated with sourcing Nigerian crude, including insufficient supply, unreliability, and sometimes unavailability.

In contrast, US WTI offers reliability, availability, and competitive pricing, making it an attractive option for Dangote.

Nigeria’s struggles to meet its OPEC+ quota and sustain its crude production capacity have been ongoing for at least a year.

Despite an estimated production capacity of 2.6 million barrels a day, the country only managed to pump about 1.45 million barrels a day of crude and liquids in April.

Factors contributing to this decline include crude theft, aging oil pipelines, low investment, and divestments by oil majors operating in Nigeria.

To address the challenge of local supply for the Dangote refinery, Nigeria’s upstream regulators have proposed new draft rules compelling oil producers to prioritize selling crude to domestic refineries.

This regulatory move aims to ensure sufficient local supply to support the operations of the 650,000 barrel-a-day Dangote refinery.

Operating at about half capacity presently, the Dangote refinery has capitalized on the opportunity to secure cheaper US oil imports to fulfill up to a third of its feedstock requirements.

Since the beginning of the year, the refinery has been receiving monthly shipments of about 2 million barrels of WTI Midland from the United States.

Oil prices maintained a steady stance in the global market as signals of strengthening demand in the United States provided support amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, holds at $82.79 per barrel, a marginal increase of 4 cents or 0.05%.

Similarly, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude saw a slight uptick of 4 cents to $78.67 per barrel.

The stability in oil prices came in the wake of favorable data indicating a potential surge in demand from the U.S. market.

An analysis by MUFG analysts Ehsan Khoman and Soojin Kim pointed to a broader risk-on sentiment spurred by signs of receding inflationary pressures in the U.S., suggesting the possibility of a more accommodative monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.

This prospect could alleviate the strength of the dollar and render oil more affordable for holders of other currencies, consequently bolstering demand.

Despite a brief dip on Wednesday, when Brent crude touched an intra-day low of $81.05 per barrel, the commodity rebounded, indicating underlying market resilience.

This bounce-back was attributed to a notable decline in U.S. crude oil inventories, gasoline, and distillates.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a reduction of 2.5 million barrels in crude inventories to 457 million barrels for the week ending May 10, surpassing analysts’ consensus forecast of 543,000 barrels.

John Evans, an analyst at PVM, underscored the significance of increased refinery activity, which contributed to the decline in inventories and hinted at heightened demand.

This development sparked a turnaround in price dynamics, with earlier losses being nullified by a surge in buying activity that wiped out all declines.

Moreover, U.S. consumer price data for April revealed a less-than-expected increase, aligning with market expectations of a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September.

The prospect of monetary easing further buoyed market sentiment, contributing to the stability of oil prices.

However, amidst these market dynamics, geopolitical tensions persisted in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Palestinian factions. Israeli military operations in Gaza remained ongoing, with ceasefire negotiations reaching a stalemate mediated by Qatar and Egypt.

The situation underscored the potential for geopolitical flare-ups to impact oil market sentiment.