Oil Price Today: Brent Crude Hits Five-Month High Above $112 After Houthi Attacks in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Aramco refinery (file photo)

Oil prices surged to a five-month high on Thursday after deadly Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked fears of wider disruption to energy supplies from the world's top exporting region. Brent crude jumped $3.51, or 3.2%, to $112.33 a barrel — its highest close since May 4 — while US West Texas Intermediate rose $2.14 to $99.29.

The attacks were the most serious in weeks. A drone strike on a Saudi oil field killed two people, and a separate attack on a civilian airport in Dammam left one person dead and eight injured. Saudi Aramco ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran, and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis threatened further strikes on Saudi oil facilities and airports. The US State Department is preparing to withdraw diplomatic family members from additional missions in the region, a sign of how seriously Washington views the escalation.

Supply data is tightening the picture too. US crude inventories fell by 3.06 million barrels last week to 412.5 million barrels, far more than analysts expected. Morgan Stanley estimates Middle East crude exports ran at about 17 million barrels per day last week, below the 18 million daily average before the conflict began, according to Kpler data. Refiner Valero posted its highest-ever quarterly profit as Middle East disruptions sent refining margins soaring. In early Asian trading Friday, prices held near the highs, with Brent around $112.96. For drivers and airlines, the rally points to higher fuel costs ahead.

Source: Reuters — read more

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