Saudi Arabia has increased the price it charges customers for its crude oil for the first time in five months, undermining the argument that the kingdom has launched a price war with fellow members of the Opec oil cartel.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, said it would sell its benchmark Arab light to customers in Asia at a discount of 10 cents a barrel to the Dubai/Oman contract in December, up from a discount of $1.05 in November.
Concerns about a global supply glut amid weaker demand drove benchmark oil prices to their lowest level in almost four years last month. Since reaching $115 a barrel in mid June, Brent, the international oil marker, has fallen 25 per cent, while West Texas Intermediate, the US equivalent, is down by a similar amount.
Saudi Arabia cut its official prices last month for the fourth consecutive month, fuelling speculation among some analysts that the kingdom had embarked on a price war in Asia to fight for market share. Other analysts said, however, that Riyadh was responding to customer demand.
The move on Monday reflected recent demand from Asia, particularly China, said oil specialists.
The trading arm of China National Petroleum Corporation has been on a huge buying spree over the past few weeks, snapping up millions of barrels of Middle East crude as global oil prices fell to the lowest level in almost four years.
Price reporting data showed ChinaOil has bought more than 20m barrels of Dubai, Oman and Upper Zakum grades in October, many of them from Unipec, the subsidiary of Chinese state oil company Sinopec.
Oil market experts have suggested that China, the world’s largest energy consumer, is taking advantage of the steep dro in crude prices to fill its strategic reserves.
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