U.S. Crude Imports from Venezuela Hit One-Year High as Oil Benchmarks Firm

U.S. data from the Energy Information Administration showed crude imports from Venezuela climbing to 339,000 barrels per day in the week to Feb. 20, the highest level in about a year and signaling a renewed flow of heavier grades into Gulf Coast refineries. The shift comes as global benchmarks Oil – US Crude and Oil – Brent Crude trade firmer, while weakness in Natural Gas highlights diverging dynamics across the energy complex.

Over the past month, U.S. crude futures have risen about 9.7%, with Brent up roughly 10.1%, reflecting tighter supply expectations and geopolitically driven risk premia, and their 1-day technical setups currently screen as Buy and Buy, respectively. In contrast, U.S. natural gas prices have dropped around 43% over the same period amid ample inventories and mild weather, and its 1-day technical signal stands at Strong Sell. Investors can explore more updates, prices, and analysis across global markets at Commodities.