Brent Oil Declines to $39 Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases

Brent crude oil declined further on Monday after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) revised down global oil demand for the year.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said growing economic uncertainties amid slow global recovery will continue to hurt demand for crude oil in 2020.

This, it attributed to the weaker than expected recovery in India and other Asian nations.

The Brent crude oil, against which oil Nigeria oil is priced, declined from $42.18 per barrel it traded Tuesday, September 8, 2020 to $39.26 per barrel on Monday during the New York trading session.

The commodity is now trading at its lowest since June 18, 2020.

On Monday, OPEC said global oil demand will average 90.2 million barrels per day in 2020, representing 400,000 bpd below the 9.5 million barrel per day projected a month ago.

In a report made available to the media, the cartel said the negative impact of COVID-19 on the global economy would persist through the first half of 2021.

The report said, “Additionally, risks remain elevated and skewed to the downside, particularly in relation to the development of Covid-19 infection cases and potential vaccines.”

“Furthermore, the speed of recovery in economic activities and oil demand growth potential in Other Asian countries, including India, remain uncertain,” it added.