China’s Crude Stockpiling Helps Stabilize Oil Prices as Supply Expands

China’s accelerated crude stockpiling in 2025 has helped keep global oil benchmarks relatively firm despite a looser supply backdrop. By stepping up purchases and diverting excess barrels into storage, Beijing has effectively absorbed a portion of the additional flows stemming from eased OPEC+ production cuts, rising output from the Americas, and continued exports from sanctioned producers. This demand has supported prices for both Oil – Brent Crude and Oil – US Crude, which have hovered near $60 per barrel even as fundamentals might otherwise point to softer levels. The behavior underscores China’s opportunistic buying strategy when prices fall into ranges it views as attractive, effectively placing a floor under the market and moderating downside volatility. Natural gas, represented by Natural Gas, is also indirectly impacted by these dynamics, as relative pricing between fuels influences power and industrial sector fuel choices.

Over the last month, prices for Oil – US Crude have advanced about 10.76%, while Oil – Brent Crude has climbed roughly 11.35%, reflecting both China’s stockpiling and broader expectations that the market will remain tighter than earlier feared. In parallel, Natural Gas has registered a stronger move, rising around 22.33% over the same period, signaling shifting sentiment toward gas demand and supply risks. From a short-term technical perspective, the 1-day signals for US crude, Brent, and natural gas are all currently Buy, Buy, and Buy, respectively, indicating constructive momentum across the complex. Investors can explore more updates, prices, and analysis across global markets at Commodities.