Oil Hits 2016 All Time High at $46 Per Barrel

Oil price climbed to its highest level on Wednesday, April 27, buoyed by a dwindling dollar and evidence of declining United States supply.

Brent crude futures were up $1.03 at $46.77 a barrel in early trading, having risen nearly 20 per cent in April, their largest one-month gain in a year.

The international benchmark earlier hit a 2016 high of $46.81.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also rose 86 cents to $44.90 a barrel.

Brent received extra support from news that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait appear no closer to restarting their jointly operated Khafji oilfield, which produced 280,000 to 300,000 barrels per day

The oilfield had been shut since October 2014 due to environmental problems.

The prospect of an agreement among the world’s largest exporters to limit production evaporated almost two weeks ago when a meeting between OPEC members and their non-OPEC counterparts ended in stalemate.

Since then, Brent has hit its highest since November and, aided by further evidence of declining output anywhere from the U.S. shale basin to the North Sea, attracted fresh investment cash.