Energy firms hit by oil dive, N Korea crisis fuels uncertainty

AFP, HONG KONG: Asian energy firms sank yesterday following a plunge in oil prices while equity traders remained on edge after North Korea's latest missile test and warnings from the US it would use force to deal with the nuclear-armed state.

Crude fell around four per cent Wednesday on renewed concerns about a global supply glut that overshadowed data pointing to a drop in US stockpiles.

Investors are worried that an output cut agreed by OPEC and Russia will not be enough to offset rising production from the US and other nations including Libya and Nigeria.

"Gasoline demand has increased because of the US driving season and that's a good sign for the market," Barnabas Gan, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore, told Bloomberg News.

But he added: "The rally is still extremely fragile and any signs which point to a higher supply environment into the second half could be a factor for oil prices to fall further."

Oil had surged around 10 per cent since mid-June on bargain-buying -- having dived about a fifth over the previous four weeks on supply worries.

While the commodity rose more than one per cent yesterday in Asia, Hong Kong-listed PetroChina and CNOOC were each down sharply down. Santos and Rio Tinto gave up more than one per cent in Sydney and Inpex was down a similar amount in Tokyo.

Broader equity markets swung back into negative territory on lingering worries about the North Korea crisis after it tested its first missile able to reach the United States.

Sharp military escalation

At the United Nations, the US led a push for tougher sanctions on the hermit state, with Ambassador Nikki Haley saying it was working on a draft resolution imposing sanctions on Kim Jong-Un's regime.

She called the launch a "sharp military escalation" that made "the world a more dangerous place", adding President Donald Trump was ready to use military force if all diplomatic avenues are exhausted.

The escalation comes days before Trump heads to Germany for his first G20 summit, which was already expected to be testy for the new president following his recent outbursts over global trade and NATO.

Tokyo ended 0.4 per cent lower while Hong Kong slipped 0.2 per cent.

Sydney lost 0.1 per cent and Seoul was marginally lower while Singapore and Taipei each gave up 0.4 per cent.

But Shanghai ended up 0.2 per cent while Wellington, Manila and Jakarta were also slightly higher.

Energy firms hit by oil dive, N Korea crisis fuels uncertainty

AFP, HONG KONG: Asian energy firms sank yesterday following a plunge in oil prices while equity traders remained on edge after North Koreas latest missile test and warnings from the US it would use force to deal with the nuclear-armed state. Crude fell around four per cent Wednesday on renewed concerns about a global supply glut that overshadowed data pointing to a drop in US stockpiles. Investors are worried that an output cut agreed by OPEC and Russia will not be enough to offset rising production from the US and other nations including Libya and Nigeria. Gasoline demand has increased because of the US driving season and thats a good sign for the market, Barnabas Gan, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore, told Bloomberg News. But he added: The rally is still extremely fragile and any signs which point to a higher supply environment into the second half could be a factor for oil prices to fall further. Oil had surged around 10 per cent since mid-June on bargain-buying -- having dived about a fifth over the previous four weeks on supply worries. While the commodity rose more than one per cent yesterday in Asia, Hong Kong-listed PetroChina and CNOOC were each down sharply down. Santos and Rio Tinto gave up more than one per cent in Sydney and Inpex was down a similar amount in Tokyo. Broader equity markets swung back into negative territory on lingering worries about the North Korea crisis after it tested its first missile able to reach the United States. Sharp military escalation At the United Nations, the US led a push for tougher sanctions on the hermit state, with Ambassador Nikki Haley saying it was working on a draft resolution imposing sanctions on Kim Jong-Uns regime. She called the launch a sharp military escalation that made the world a more dangerous place, adding President Donald Trump was ready to use military force if all diplomatic avenues are exhausted. The escalation comes days before Trump heads to Germany for his first G20 summit, which was already expected to be testy for the new president following his recent outbursts over global trade and NATO. Tokyo ended 0.4 per cent lower while Hong Kong slipped 0.2 per cent. Sydney lost 0.1 per cent and Seoul was marginally lower while Singapore and Taipei each gave up 0.4 per cent. But Shanghai ended up 0.2 per cent while Wellington, Manila and Jakarta were also slightly higher.