Oil Slips as Fears of Imminent OPEC+ Output Cut Fade

Oil Slips as Fears of Imminent OPEC+ Output Cut Fade

Oil prices fell on Wednesday, taking a breather from a near 4% surge the previous day, on receding fears of an imminent output cut by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+.

Global benchmark Brent crude futures fell 40 cents, or 0.4%, to $99.82 a barrel by 0337 GMT, after rising 3.9% on Tuesday.

The US West Texas Intermediate crude futures contract was down 27 cents, or 0.29%, at $93.47 a barrel, having jumped 3.7% the previous day, Reuters reported.

Both contracts soared on Tuesday after the Saudi energy minister flagged the possibility of supply cuts.

Potential OPEC+ production cuts may not be imminent and are likely to coincide with the return of Iran to oil markets should that country clinch a nuclear deal with the West, nine OPEC sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

A senior US official told Reuters on Monday that Iran had dropped some of its main demands on resurrecting a deal.

"Tuesday's rally was overdone as many investors knew it would take several months for Iranian oil to flow into the international market even if an agreement to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal was made, meaning OPEC+ would not trim output so quickly," said Kazuhiko