EIA Reports Second Straight Draw On Inventory

For the second consecutive week, EIA oil inventories have come in negative. Increased refiner demand in anticipation of holiday fuel consumption is one of the primary factors being credited with the draw. In the wake of OPEC production cuts, and a major outage in the El Sharara oil field in Libya, this week’s lagging supply may attract some long-awaited bids to January WTI crude.

The EIA Number Is In…

This week’s inventory cycle has not disappointed the industry consensus, with both premier supply figures coming in negative. Here is a look at the hard data:

EventΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  ActualΒ  Β  Β  Β  ProjectedΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β Previous

API Crude Oil StocksΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β -10.18MΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β NAΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β 5.36M

EIA Crude Oil StocksΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β -1.708MΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β -2.990MΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  -7.323M

Tuesday’s release of the API figure brought traders to the market en masse An immediate uptick in January WTI crude oil was evident upon the Wednesday session electronic open.

However, this morning’s EIA report is a bit more encouraging for those interested in trading seasonal trends. While supplies are certainly on the decrease, draws this time of year are to be expected as illustrated by the EIA projections of -2.990M.

January WTI Crude Oil Futures

Today’s action in January WTI futures has been relatively tight. The EIA report fostered an immediate sell-off, yet price remains above the $52.00 handle.

January WTI Crude Oil Futures (CL), Daily Chart
January WTI Crude Oil Futures (CL), Daily Chart

Here are the levels to watch for later in the session:

  • Resistance(1): Daily SMA, $53.69
  • Resistance(2): Bollinger MP, $54.76

Bottom Line: Trading WTI following the EIA release is a challenge. Conditions are likely to tighten up, with a modest session range being the result.

In the event that this market does breakout, I will have sells queued up from $53.64. Using a 1:1 risk vs reward and an initial stop at $53.77, this trade is worth a fast 13 ticks on a rejection of the Daily SMA ($53.69).

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More
Shain Vernier
US Analyst
Shain Vernier has spent over 7 years in the market as a professional futures, options and forex trader. He holds a B.Sc. in Business Finance from the University of Montana. Shain's career includes stretches with several proprietary trading firms in addition to actively managing his own accounts. Before joining FX Leaders, he worked as a market analyst and financial writer.
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