LONDON / Reuters Oil investors seem to buy the idea that recovery is finally underway after three years of gluts, but a price boom seems unlikely as the options market shows that at least until OPEC’s supply deal expires, producers will pounce on any rallies. The oil price has gained about 20 percent in the last two months to above …

SINGAPORE / Reuters Freight rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) on Asian routes from the Middle East could fall to a new low for the year next week as too many ships chase the number of available cargoes, ship brokers said on Friday. That came as average rates from the Middle East to Asia have fallen close to last …

SINGAPORE / Reuters China is on pace to overtake the United States as the world’s biggest oil importer this year, cementing its status as Asia’s most pivotal oil market actor that will increasingly dominate the region’s fuel trade. For the first time, China imported more crude oil in the first half of the year than the US, government statistics showed. …