- Oil is trading higher, at $79.80, ahead of the March contract expiration
- The US oil-directed rig count fell by two, from 499 to 497, according to data from Baker Hughes
- Speculators net position in WTI futures increased by almost 7k contracts through last Tuesday, according to CFTC data released Friday
- Ship abandoned in Red Sea after Houthi strike (BBG)
- Two anti-ship missiles hit a Belize-flagged commercial vessel, forcing the crew to evacuate
- The European Union formally launched a naval operation yesterday, aiming to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea
- The US struck several Houthi targets over the weekend, including an underwater vessel
- Continued risks around shipping have forced many cargo and tanker vessels to reroute, disrupting global trade flows
- Exxon says they will remain in Guyana despite Venezuelan threats (BBG)
- Exxon’s upstream president said Exxon is “very focused on executing our operations within our defined contract area,” adding, “This development has many years ahead of it, and were not going anywhere”
- Exxon produces about 645 MBbl/d from offshore Guyana
- Venezuela claims a large portion of Guyana’s oil-rich region and has asked foreign oil companies to leave the area