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Crude Prices Drop After Angola Quits OPEC

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Crude prices slumped on Thursday after Angola quit the OPEC oil cartel, while Wall Street stocks rebounded after a streak of records was snapped.

The price of the main international and US crude contracts dropped more than 1.5 percent after Angola said it was leaving as it did not want to go along with further production cuts that OPEC and 10 Russian-led allies agreed on last month.

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They later pared their losses.

In an effort to prop up prices, the OPEC+ alliance has implemented supply cuts of more than five million barrels per day (bpd) since the end of 2022.

But oil prices still slid to their lowest levels in nearly six months following the latest OPEC+ decision. The United States has been pumping at record rates, as have Brazil and Guyana, while the weak global economy has raised concerns about demand.

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READ ALSO: Edo: Two Refineries Take Delivery Of 75,500 Barrels Of Crude

ActivTrades analyst Ricardo Evangelista said the departure of Angola, a relatively small producer at 1.1 million barrel per day, would hurt OPEC less than if it had been a big producer such as Iraq.

But the timing could not be worse “when the cartel is working hard to convince its members to voluntarily reduce production in order to support prices”, Evangelista said.

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Wall Street’s three main indices jumped at the start of trading, having tumbled on Wednesday and breaking the Dow’s streak of five straight record closes as a spate of profit-taking swept trading floors.

The blue-chip Dow stood 0.7 percent higher in late morning trading, while the broader S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 0.9 percent.

READ ALSO: Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Operations – FG

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The rebound “suggests yesterday’s sell-off was the result more of esoteric trading behavior than everyone, en masse, suddenly agreeing that they should take some money off the table”, said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.

US equities have driven higher since late October, following a nearly unbroken path as inflation moderated and the Federal Reserve flagged plans for 2024 interest rate cuts.

A stream of US data in recent weeks has shown inflation continues to slow and the jobs market is softening. Other economic indicators suggest the US central bank is on course to bring prices under control while averting a recession.

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Data on Thursday showed first-time claims for jobless benefits held steady last week at a level far below that would indicate an impending recession.

READ ALSO: How To Meet Rich, High-profile Men This December – Toke Makinwa Gives Tips

The most recent Fed gathering ended with officials indicating they would cut about three times in 2024, sparking a buying frenzy in markets and forcing some policymakers to try to temper expectations.

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Eyes are now on Friday’s upcoming release of the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation, which could be key for its next meeting in January.

“A higher-than-expected core US inflation reading tomorrow could tip us back into fretting about rates being higher for longer,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

European indices ended the day lower.

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Asian indices struck a mixed note although Tokyo tumbled on troubling news from Japanese carmaker Toyota, whose share price tanked.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Kidnapped Abuja Musician, Band Regain Freedom

Tokyo shares slumped after the company announced a recall of a million vehicles, and its subsidiary Daihatsu decided to suspend shipments of all models over rigged safety tests.

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Key figures around 1630 GMT
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $73.78 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.5 percent at $79.29 per barrel

New York – Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 37,325.53 points

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London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,694.73 (close)

Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,571.40 (close)

Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.3 percent at 16,687.42 (close)

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EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 4,524.86 (close)

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.6 percent at 33,140.47 (close)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 16,621.13 (close)

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Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 2,918.71 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0994 from $1.0942 on Wednesday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.11 yen from 143.57 yen

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Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2664 from $1.2639

Euro/pound: UP at 86.81 pence from 86.57 pence

AFP

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NNPCL Reduces Fuel Price After Dangote Refinery’s Adjustment

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has reduced its premium motor spirit pump price on Thursday, according to DAILY POST.

It was confirmed that NNPCL retail outlets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have reduced their pump price to N890 per litre from N945.

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This new fuel price has been reflected in NNPCL retail outlets such as mega station Danziyal Plaza, Central Area, Wuse Zone 4, Wuse Zone 6, and other of its filling stations in the nation’s capital.

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The latest downward review of fuel price in NNPCL outlets represents an N55 reduction in fuel pump price.

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It was reduced to N890 per litre this afternoon, down from N945,” an NNPCL fuel attendant told DAILY POST anonymously on Thursday.

This comes a Nigerian filling station, MRS Empire Energy, on Thursday adjusted their fuel pump price to N885 and N946 per litre, down from N910 and N955 per litre.

The latest fuel price reduction trend is unconnected to Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot petrol price adjustment by N30 to N820 per litre from N850 and the price of crude oil in the international market.

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Dangote Refinery Reduces Fuel Price

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the ex-depot (gantry) price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol, by N30, from N850 to N820 per litre, effective from August 12, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement by the company’s spokesman, Anthony Chijiena, on Tuesday.

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The 650,000-barrel-per-day plant said the move is part of its unwavering commitment to national development, assuring the public of a consistent and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.

READ ALSO:Dangote Refinery Gets New CEO

In line with our dedication to operational excellence and sustainable energy solutions, Dangote Petroleum Refinery will commence the phased deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution across Nigeria, effective August 15, 2025,” said Chijiena.

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The announcement comes as the refinery prepares to commence direct fuel distribution nationwide. The development is expected to lead petroleum product marketers to reduce their pump prices in the coming days.

In Abuja, the retail fuel price stood between N885 and N970 per litre as of Tuesday evening.

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Indian Refiners Abandon Russia For Nigerian Crude, As Dangote Refinery Relies On US

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India Refineries have abandoned Russian crude for Nigerian crude, while domestic refiner Dangote Refinery relies heavily on West Texas Intermediate crude from the United States of America.

This followed a recent sanction threat by US president Donald Trump on India over continued patronage of Russian crude.

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According to Reuters, industry sources said that Indian Oil Corporation recently bought one million barrels of Nigeria’s Agbami crude for September 2025 delivery in a tender awarded to global trader Trafigura.

Also included are one million barrels of Angola Girassol, one million barrels of US Mars, three million barrels of Abu Dhabi Murban, and two million barrels of Nigerian oil, according to Reuters.

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The report noted that the purchase is part of a broader sourcing spree that has seen Indian refiners secure millions of barrels from non-Russian sources post July 2025.

Meanwhile, Indian refiners secured purchases of Nigerian crude grades; the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, is relying on around 60 percent on US and other imoorts to feed its processing units.

Data showed that the refinery imported an average of 10 million barrels in July 2025, saying it was increasingly relying on the US for its feedstock despite the naira-for-crude deal with the Federal Government, which kicked off in October last year.

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According to Reuters, the Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum have bought a million barrels of non-Russian crude billed for delivery in September and October after the US pressured India to halt purchases from Russia.

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Indian state refiners had been largely absent from the Nigerian crude market spotlight since 2022; they have in the past concentrated on Russian crude amid the Russian-Ukrainian war. However, the Indian refiners paused Russian purchases in late July 2025 after pressure from US President Donald Trump.

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On the part of Dangote Refinery, data from commodities analytics firm Kpler showed that in July, US barrels accounted for about 60 percent of Dangote’s 590,000 barrels per day of crude intake, with Nigerian grades making up the remaining 40 percent.

In July, the Dangote refinery’s crude imports surged to a record 590 kbd—driven largely by US barrels overtaking Nigerian supply for the first time—amid ongoing domestic sourcing challenges, Kpler reports.

“While WTI has held a significant share in Dangote’s import slate since March, this is the first time US crude has overtaken Nigerian supply—a shift driven by several factors,” Kpler stated.

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