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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Neswire - 28 March 2025 - As of March 2025, Brent crude oil prices have experienced fluctuations: its price traded between $68.30 and slightly above $73 per barrel. This volatility reflects evolving macroeconomic factors and geopolitical dynamics. OPEC+ has announced plans to gradually increase oil production starting in April 2025, aiming to unwind 2.2 million barrels per day of previous cuts over an 18-month period. Despite global efforts to transition towards renewable energy sources, oil continues to play a pivotal role in the global economy. Octa Broker, a broker with globally recognised licenses, discusses the potential attractiveness of investments in oil in 2025 and the risks to consider. Oil Price Forecasts for 2025: Expert Predictions Oil can become a lucrative trade option in 2025. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects Brent crude oil prices to average $74 per barrel in 2025 and decline to $68 per barrel in 2026. Pickering Energy Partners' Chief Investment Officer, Dan Pickering, expects oil prices to range between $65 and $75 per barrel in 2025 amid ongoing supply tightness and geopolitical risks. According to Kar Yong Ang, financial market analyst at Octa Broker, oil remains a core asset for traders looking to hedge against inflation and geopolitical risk. He says that ‘Oil's price movements in 2025 will be shaped by supply-side decisions from OPEC+ and the geopolitical landscape. Traders should be prepared for volatility but also recognise the potential for trading opportunities in these market conditions.’ Global oil demand is projected to rise by 1.4 million barrels per day in 2025, driven by strong air travel and automotive demand. However, economic uncertainties, including tariff disputes and potential recession fears, have introduced near-term instability in the oil market. Factors Affecting Oil Prices Geopolitical tensions continue to be a leading force in the oil market. The current political tension and conflict in the principal areas of oil production can affect supply chains. Despite tensions simmering in the Middle East, strong global oil supply is keeping prices from shooting spectacularly. OPEC+ remains the world's dominant oil supplier, recently indicating a willingness to increase production—an outlook that can put pressure on prices. But non-OPEC producers, particularly U.S. shale firms, are significant as well. While U.S. production remains robust, its growth rate has slowed compared to recent years. On the demand side, China remains the largest crude oil consumer, but its slowing economy is making the sector apprehensive about future demand. India, on its part, is continuing to exhibit healthy demand, underpinning market stability, while the U.S. is contributing to potential headwinds powered by tariff-related economic pressure. These supply-side-leading dynamics will play out with demand-side uncertainty and set the trajectory of the petroleum market over the next few months. Oil Investment Potential in 2025 and Associated Risks Oil has historically been a trusted inflation hedge, but in 2025 its direction is not at all obvious. The market is being pulled in two opposite directions by a mix of economic and geopolitical pressures, each with the power to move prices a lot. On the downside, the spectre of a worldwide economic slowdown threatens the market. New tariffs and increasing trade tensions have the power to sap demand and therefore pull oil prices lower. Crude can plummet sharply if it turns for the worse, and a full-fledged recession sets in. Meanwhile, Middle East instability is building, and with Iran becoming increasingly involved, the risk of supply disruptions is increasing. If it escalates further, oil can come back hard. OPEC has also complicated matters. The cartel has been increasing production, expecting demand to rise as well, but there is a very real chance that they overestimated. When demand doesn't rise as much as hoped, the market is in an oversupply situation, and prices will be falling again. And then there is the longer-term transformation. The worldwide push towards renewables is slowly reshaping energy markets, and while the transition won't be instantaneous, it's already tightening the screws on oil demand. Prices might not react in the near term, but the handwriting is on the wall. Meanwhile, U.S. shale, once the biggest wild card in global oil supply, is no longer the unstoppable force that it was. Production is still robust, but growth has slowed, and most believe that the industry has already peaked. That is one reason that can potentially keep prices underpinned in the long term. Weak demand forecasts by China were one of the key drivers of oil prices in 2024. In 2025 political tensions might give rise to supply shocks resulting in surprise price peaks, making oil a good option as a short-term trade. In the long term, the...