WTI steadies near $69.00 amid geopolitical risks, rise in US crude stock

• WTI price holds steady near $68.95 in Thursday's Asian session. 
• US crude stocks rose by more than expected last week, according to the EIA. 
• The conflict between Russia-Ukraine and concern around future oil supply disruptions might help limit the WTI's losses. 

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $68.95 on Thursday. The WTI price trades flat as small US crude oil inventories built last week offset the escalating war between major oil producers Russia and Ukraine.

The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) weekly report showed crude stocks rose last week, which weighs on the black gold price. Crude oil stockpiles in the United States for the week ending November 15 increased by 0.545 million barrels, compared to a rise of 2.089 million barrels in the previous week. The market consensus estimated that stocks would increase by 0.400 million barrels. 

Weak Chinese demand contributes to the WTI's downside as China is the world's largest crude importer. Data released earlier this week showed that China's crude oil demand fell -5.4% YoY in October.  Chinese demand growth is set to reach just 140,000 bpd this year, a tenth of the 1.4 million bpd demand growth of 2023, according to the IEA. 

On the other hand, the worries about the intensifying war between major oil producers Russia and Ukraine, and subsequent concern around potential oil supply disruption might boost the WTI price. On Tuesday, Russia's defense ministry said that Ukraine hit a facility in the Bryansk region with six ATACAMS missiles. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for a possible nuclear strike.

"These risks to supply are definitely keeping the support here and offsetting to a degree concerns around the global demand outlook," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York.