Crude oil prices surged on Friday, 09 August, marking their first weekly gain since early July. This rise was driven by positive economic indicators and hints from Federal Reserve policymakers that interest rate cuts could come as early as September, alleviating demand concerns.
US crude oil inventories now stand at 429.3 million barrels, about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year. This decline coincides with a significant drop in US crude oil imports, which averaged 6.2 million barrels per day last week, down 729,000 barrels per day from the previous week.