Brent has moved back above $100 a barrel after spending more than three months below that level, with pricing shaped by reduced global stocks and Chinese imports, alternative supply routes, stronger output outside OPEC+, and earlier expectations of de-escalation in the Middle East. Renewed hostilities involving the US and Iran, alongside Yemeni Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, have refocused attention on disruption risk and a potential return towards April’s peak of just over $126.
Supply and flow indicators point to tighter conditions. Despite increased production in the US, Canada and Guyana, the IEA forecasts a 4.3M bpd fall in supply, or about 4%, by 2026, while a Bloomberg survey shows OPEC+ output down 0.9M bpd to 19.9M bpd in August, with just over 1M bpd of the shortfall attributed to Saudi Arabia. Transit through the Strait of Hormuz is described as approaching zero; on 8 September six tankers passed versus nine the previous day and a 10-day average of 12, even as Iran reports plans for a safe-passage agreement with Oman. Demand has also firmed, with China’s August imports at 37.9M tonnes (8.93M bpd), up 6.2% from July after earlier purchases fell to the lowest since 2017. Price projections include $120 in 2027 from Goldman Sachs, $120 as early as 2026 from Bank of America, a $95–125 range by end-December, and a downside-case peak of $150.
Trading Strategies For Higher Oil Price Environments
We believe derivative traders should position for a sustained upward run by focusing on long-dated call options. With Brent crude already breaking past the psychological $100 barrier, buying call options with strike prices between $115 and $125 for December 2026 expiry offers an attractive risk-reward ratio. This approach allows us to capture the upside of the worsening Middle East crisis while limiting our downside risk.
Given the dramatic drop in Strait of Hormuz transit—down to just six tankers yesterday compared to the ten-day average of twelve—market volatility is bound to spike. We recommend using long straddle or strangle strategies to profit from these massive price swings. Historically, during past oil shocks like in 2022, the Crude Oil Volatility Index doubled in a matter of weeks, a pattern we expect to see repeat as supply routes tighten.
Risk Management And Portfolio Hedges
We must also closely monitor China’s rebounding appetite, which saw imports jump 6.2% to 8.93 million barrels per day. To hedge against sudden policy shifts or economic data out of Beijing, traders should look into crack spreads, particularly trading the margin between crude and refined products. Buying Brent futures while simultaneously selling fuel futures can protect our portfolios from refining bottlenecks.
For those of us trading futures directly, going long on Brent contracts remains the most direct way to ride this geopolitical wave toward the $120 target. However, because of the extreme risk of sudden de-escalation headlines, we must enforce strict trailing stop-losses. The risk of Brent spiking to $150 in a worst-case scenario makes short-selling far too dangerous in the coming weeks.
