Oil jumped above $64 a barrel, a year to the day after futures for the US benchmark collapsed below zero, with the world’s most important commodity extending a powerful rally on bets for better demand.
West Texas Intermediate advanced 1.3 per cent, adding to Monday’s modest climb as the dollar weakened, while production in Libya fell below 1 million barrels a day amid a budget dispute.
Oil’s forward curve also suggests growing confidence — particularly as US demand recovers — with the spread between WTI’s contracts for December this year and 2022 at the widest backwardation in about a month. Yet there are still reasons to be cautious, with India suffering a fresh wave of coronavirus infections and refiners there starting to curb processing.