Oil prices on the increase

Oil-barrel prices rose sharply Wednesday in New York, boosted by the weather and a report from the Fed to say the least optimistic about U.S. growth. The recovery of strength in the stock markets will do the rest. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, a barrel of light sweet crude for October delivery had soared to well over 3.32 dollars Tuesday, up to now the value of 89.34 dollars. Meanwhile in London, the price of Brent North Sea for the same period was trading at 115.80 dollars on the Intercontinental Exchange, rising 2.91 dollars so.

The price of crude rose sharply at the opening as markets react strongly to climatic conditions observed in the Gulf of Mexico, a region where most of the platforms provide a quarter of the oil consumed in the country. Investors have largely responded to the report published by the Office of Management and regulation of ocean energy resources (http://www.cmegroup.com/company/nymex.htmlBOEMRE), the latter indicating that, indeed, if Tropical Storm Lee, who reached Sunday Louisiana had inflicted no major damage, the fact remained that 37% of oil extraction and 18% of gas extraction in the area remained suspended Wednesday.

Although significantly a lower percentages of the values observed the previous day but at a level totally unexpected. Note also a possible disruption of production in Mexico, second largest exporter of crude to the United States while the National Hurricane Center reports that a tropical cyclone could pass within 48 hours, with a probability of 70%.

The price per barrel will also be benefited with the surge in global stock markets observed Wednesday, London and Paris rising more than 3%, while Frankfurt soared more than 4%. Another positive: the report of conditions contained in the Beige Book Federal Reserve (Fed), economic activity in the United States continued to grow at a moderate pace. An ad that has the merit of ending the cycle of bad news experienced in recent times.