Oil Rig Count Drops by 7, WTI Crude Falls to $66.94

WTI crude oil declined 0.77% ($0.52) to $66.94 as Baker Hughes reported a 7-unit decrease in US oil rig count to 425, signaling potential future supply constraints. The total rig count fell by 8 to 539, with natural gas rigs down 1 to 108. Despite today's decline, crude oil has gained 2.95% for the trading week, though remains down 6.78% year-to-date. The session low touched $67.54, reflecting ongoing concerns about global demand amid mixed economic signals. Lower rig counts typically support prices long-term by reducing future supply, but current market dynamics suggest immediate demand concerns are outweighing supply factors. For forex traders, the weaker oil prices could pressure commodity currencies like CAD and NOK, while potentially supporting oil-importing nations' currencies.