Oil to hold steady into 2019 as OPEC, U.S. compensate for supply hitches: Reuters poll | Reuters

Oil to hold steady into 2019 as OPEC, U.S. compensate for supply hitches: Reuters poll | Reuters:

Oil prices are likely to hold fairly steady this year and next as increased output from OPEC and the U.S. meets growing demand led by Asia and helps to offset supply disruptions from Iran and elsewhere, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.

A survey of 44 economists and analysts forecast Brent crude LCOc1 to average $72.87 a barrel in 2018, 29 cents higher than the $72.58 projected in the previous month’s poll and above the $71.68 average so far this year.

U.S. crude futures CLc1 were seen averaging $67.32 a barrel in 2018, compared with $66.79 forecast last month and an average of $66.16 until now.