Daily Times

Oil prices rose to their highest in more than week on Monday after two large crude production bases in Libya began shutting down amid a military blockade, setting the stage for crude flows from the OPEC member to be cut to a trickle. Brent crude futures were up by 74 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.59 by 0331 GMT, having earlier reached $66.00 a barrel, the highest since Jan. 9. The West Texas Intermediate <CLc1> contract was up by 58 cents, or 1%, at $59.12 a barrel, after rising to $59.73, the highest since Jan. 10. In the latest development in a long-running conflict in Libya, where two rival factions have claimed the right to rule the country for more than five years, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Sunday said two big oilfields in the southwest had begun shutting down after forces loyal to the Libyan National Army closed a pipeline. “If this sort of disruption endures, it’s meaningful … the market is right to be reacting with a bullish tone,” said Lachlan Shaw, head of commodity research, at National Australia Bank in Melbourne. “It just continues to emphasise, notwithstanding that the world market is clearly in surplus and there are plenty of stocks, the fact is the market still depends on a number of key regions that have heightened geopolitical risk.”