Heating Oil Declines
2026-07-31 01:33
By
Kyrie Dichosa
1 min. read
Heating oil futures in the US fell below $4.10 per gallon in late July, pulling back from a nearly four-month high, as investors weighed improving shipping activity against ongoing geopolitical risks.
Middle East oil shipments appeared to have picked up in recent days, with more vessels leaving the Persian Gulf undetected and two Saudi tankers successfully transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Separately, Saudi Arabia proposed an international maritime coalition to protect key shipping routes, with representatives from 43 countries participating in talks to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea following the Iran-backed Houthis' announced blockade against the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Russian diesel supplies remained constrained by recent Ukrainian attacks on refineries, prompting Moscow to halt exports for all of July.
Still, heating oil remained on track for a roughly 27% monthly gain as geopolitical tensions escalated earlier this month amid exchanges of strikes between the US and Iran.