Overview

• Brent rose to about $67.90 and WTI to $63.69 in early Wednesday trade, extending a second day of gains.
• Industry data showed a 3.82 million‑barrel U.S. crude inventory decline for the week to Sept. 19, with gasoline stocks down and distillates up; official figures are due later today.
• Talks to restart Iraqi Kurdistan’s pipeline exports stalled as two key producers sought debt guarantees, keeping roughly 230,000 barrels per day offline.
• The European Commission is preparing measures that target third‑country refineries, oil traders and petrochemical firms, including in China, to further curb Russia’s oil revenues as Ukraine steps up strikes on Russian energy assets and NATO reports airspace violations.
• Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO expects September exports at about 3.4–3.45 million barrels per day, increasing supply even as Reuters reported Chevron faces limits on exporting Venezuelan crude.