BP, Shell and Harbour Energy led falls as oil prices retreat Proactive uses images sourced from Shutterstock
BP PLC (LSE:BP.) and Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) led a broad decline among London-listed oil producers on Monday as crude prices retreated sharply from last week’s highs.
Brent crude fell 6.1% to $90.87 a barrel, having climbed above $101 last week, while US West Texas Intermediate dropped 5.5% to $84.37 after reaching a seven-week high above $93 last Thursday.
BP shares fell 3.4% and Shell lost 1.6%, while North Sea producers Harbour Energy PLC (LSE:HBR) and Ithaca Energy PLC (LSE:ITH) both dropped over 5%, with Energean PLC (LSE:ENOG) sliding 4.3%.
Oilfield services groups were hit too, with Hunting PLC (LSE:HTG) declining 1.9%.
The sell-off followed a halt in US attacks on Iran, which has raised hopes that the conflict could move towards diplomacy.
Washington has not carried out further strikes since Friday, while Tehran has indicated that it does not intend to retaliate again for now.
However, supply risks remain elevated. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is still severely disrupted, while Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the group’s declared blockade against Saudi Arabia have slowed traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Lower oil prices generally weigh on producers because they reduce the value of future output and put pressure on expected cash flow, profits and shareholder returns. Companies with greater exposure to production can therefore move more sharply than the major integrated groups.