AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 7/2/21

Prices for U.S. benchmark oil futures settled with a gain Wednesday, at a nearly one-week high, after U.S. government data revealed the biggest weekly decline in U.S. crude supplies since January. Global benchmark Brent crude prices, however, finished lower as traders monitored comments from major oil producers gathering for the much-anticipated Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting at the end of the week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday that crude supplies dropped by 5.9 million barrels for the week ended June 15. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures fell 0.3% in New York after climbing 2.5 percent in the previous two sessions. Drillers boosted the rig count by two to 751, a three-month high, according to Baker Hughes data on Friday. OPEC-led output curbs may end earlier than scheduled if the market re-balances by June, Kuwait’s then-oil minister said Sunday. Oil is heading for a second yearly gain as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia extend supply cuts through the end of 2018. The extension includes an agreement to review the cuts in June, raising questions of how OPEC will eventually phase out the reductions. Shale explorers have signaled they’re gearing up for a drilling surge next year as hedging rose for an eighth week to a record. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear urged Congress to take steps to exercise oversight over the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, ensuring that taxpayers and the supply chain get the maximum return on the $1.2 trillion of investment the legislation provides. “For 90 years, the ATA has helped Congress shape its understanding of our nation’s infrastructure needs and supply chain challenges and today’s oversight of both is welcome and timely,” Spear said. “Prior to IIJA’s passage, ATA testified 25 times before the House and Senate, sharing how the decaying state of our nation’s infrastructure is hamstringing America’s ability to compete with rising global powers, like China. In short, a first-world economy cannot survive a developing-world infrastructure.”