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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Oil rises on supply losses, US push to isolate Iran

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LONDON: Oil prices rose on Wednesday on a supply disruption in Canada, falling US crude stocks, uncertainty over Libyan exports and after US officials told importers to stop buying Iranian crude from November.


Brent crude was up 30 cents a barrel at $76.61 by 0800 GMT.


US light crude was 25 cents higher at $70.78.


A supply outage at Syncrude in Canada has locked in 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, with repairs expected to last at least through July.


The fall in Canadian exports has helped drain supplies of heavy crude across North America and contributed to a major draw in US crude oil inventories, analysts say.


The American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday reported a much-higher-than-expected 9.2 million barrel reduction in US crude inventories in the week to June 22 to 421.4 million barrels.


Analysts had estimated, on average, that crude stocks fell about 2.6 million barrels last week.


Also keeping markets on edge was the risk of a disruption to oil supplies from the Africa and the Middle East.


In Libya, a power struggle between the official government and rebels has left it unclear who will handle the country’s oil exports, although as of Tuesday the oil ports of Hariga and Zueitina in eastern Libya were working normally.


The future of Iranian crude exports is unclear.


The United States has told all countries to stop importing Iranian oil from November, a State Department official said, as the Trump administration ramped up pressure on the Islamic Republic.


Trying to make up for disrupted supply, Opec said it would increase output. — Reuters


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