Oil Rises in New York as Gustav Threatens U.S. Gulf Platforms
By Alexander Kwiatkowski
Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil headed for its biggest weekly gain in almost two months and natural gas rose as producers evacuated rigs before the arrival of Gustav, forecast to be the largest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Katrina.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and ConocoPhillips started pulling workers from Gulf of Mexico platforms and cutting production in a region that pumps 26 percent of U.S. oil and 14 percent of gas output. Louisiana officials said they will start evacuating residents today in two counties around New Orleans that house refineries owned by Exxon Mobil Corp. and Valero Energy Corp.
Crude oil for October delivery rose as much as $1.80, or 1.6 percent, to $117.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $117.34 a barrel at 1:31 p.m. London time. Prices are up 2 percent this week, the biggest gain since the week of July 4.
European Economic Confidence Drops, Inflation Eases (Update2)
By Fergal O'Brien
Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Europeans' confidence fell more than forecast this month as the economy teetered on the brink of a recession.
An index of executive and consumer sentiment in the economic outlook dropped to 88.8 from 89.5 in July, the European Commission in Brussels said today. That is below the 89.3 median estimate of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Inflation unexpectedly eased in August and a measure of consumer-price expectations declined.
The reports signal the slump in economic growth is extending through the third quarter and a 20 percent drop in oil prices from a record $147.27 a barrel last month is easing inflation pressures. Consumer-price increases are still above the European Central Bank's limit, prompting policy makers including Axel Weber to indicate they are in no hurry to cut interest rates even as expansion slows.
``The euro-zone economic situation is deteriorating markedly,'' said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING Group in Brussels. ``Therefore, it is somewhat striking that some central bankers still consider interest rates to be accommodative.''