US Energy Secretary: Oil Prices Not Yet High Enough to Cause Demand Destruction
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that oil prices have not risen enough to cause demand destruction at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas. Global oil prices are over $100 a barrel due to the US-Israel war on Iran.
The Trump administration is releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to calm markets. This includes releasing between 1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day of oil, eventually reaching 3 million bpd.
Wright emphasized that Asia has been severely impacted by market shocks, and supplying refineries there is a priority for the US. Venezuela's crude output has increased to 200,000 bpd following the US takeover of the country's oil exports.