il ended slightly higher on Wednesday but remained below the session’s early highs above $40 a barrel, the highest since March, retreating as doubts emerged about the timing and scale of a potential extension to the pact between OPEC and its allies to cut crude supplies.
Oil prices were supported by a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories in the latest week, but came under pressure as U.S. refined product inventories surged on tepid demand.
“As product demand remains subdued, gasoline inventories showed a solid build, while distillates showed a mammoth one – despite refinery runs being over 3.6 million barrels per day below year-ago levels,” said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have a deal to extend oil output cuts by a month, but a policy meeting on Thursday rather than later in June is unlikely, sources said. Earlier in the session, oil fell when Bloomberg reported the Thursday meeting was in doubt.