{"id":49531,"date":"2026-03-20T06:50:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/uncategorized\/wti-hovers-near-93-50-as-us-and-israeli-leaders-reassure-markets-after-gulf-energy-facility-damage\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T06:50:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:50:31","slug":"wti-hovers-near-93-50-as-us-and-israeli-leaders-reassure-markets-after-gulf-energy-facility-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/live-updates\/wti-hovers-near-93-50-as-us-and-israeli-leaders-reassure-markets-after-gulf-energy-facility-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"WTI hovers near $93.50 as US and Israeli leaders reassure markets after Gulf energy facility damage"},"content":{"rendered":"WTI, the US crude oil benchmark, traded near $93.50 in early Asian hours on Friday, falling after US and Israeli leaders issued statements aimed at easing market concerns over damage to Persian Gulf energy sites. US President Donald Trump said he was \u201cnot putting troops anywhere\u201d, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would avoid further attacks on Iranian energy facilities.\n\nThe comments followed the largest day of strikes on energy assets since the war began on 18 February. Damage included the world\u2019s biggest liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar, with repairs expected to take years.\n\n

Market Focus Shifts To Supply Risk<\/h3>\nUS crude stock data also added pressure to prices. The EIA reported that inventories rose by 6.156 million barrels in the week ending 13 March, after a 3.824 million-barrel rise the week before, versus a 400,000-barrel increase expected by the market.\n\nMarkets are watching for developments that may affect the duration and scope of the conflict. Iranian officials said the response to Israel\u2019s assault on South Pars \u201cis underway and not yet complete\u201d, which could affect supply risk and near-term WTI pricing.\n\nWe see oil prices easing off the $93.50 mark as leaders try to calm the markets with words of de-escalation. This dip might be a short-term reaction, as the ongoing conflict and damaged infrastructure create a very nervous environment. This suggests a period of high volatility, which can present unique opportunities for traders who are prepared.\n\nThe massive build in US crude stocks, adding over 6 million barrels against expectations of a tiny increase, is a strong bearish signal for now. This isn’t a one-off event; we’ve seen US production hovering near record highs of 13.4 million barrels per day while refinery utilization sits at a slightly sluggish 88%. This fundamental picture points to a well-supplied market in the United States, which could limit how high prices can go.\n\n

Options Strategies For An Unclear Direction<\/h3>\nHowever, the risk of a sudden price spike is extremely high due to the physical damage in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s threat of further action. Looking back from our 2025 perspective, we only have to remember the drone attacks on Saudi facilities in 2019 to see how quickly millions of barrels of supply can be knocked offline. Therefore, buying protective call options or call spreads seems prudent to hedge against a repeat of that kind of supply shock.\n\nWith strong bearish inventory data fighting against bullish geopolitical headlines, picking a clear direction is a gamble. This is a classic setup for a volatility play using options. Strategies like a long straddle, which involves buying both a call and a put option, could pay off if the price makes a sharp move in either direction in the coming weeks.\n\nCreate your live VT Markets account<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0start trading<\/a>\u00a0now. <\/b>\n

\n\n

Start trading now – Click here<\/a> to create your real VT Markets account <\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WTI near $93.50 falls as US-Israel calm fears and rising inventories add pressure amid conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-updates"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t