Oil holds near two-week lows while diesel cracks hit record peak

By Anushree Mukherjee

LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Oil prices held near their lowest in more than two weeks on Wednesday as improving Gulf crude supplies weighed on the market, though diesel refining margins hit a record high on potential restrictions to US diesel exports.

Brent crude futures rose $1.15, or 1.16%, to $100.40 a barrel by 1143 GMT while West Texas Intermediate futures gained 35 cents, or 0.42%, to $90.90.  

The Brent benchmark hit its lowest since September 8 in the previous session at $97.36. WTI touched its lowest since September 1 earlier on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, European low-sulphur gasoil's premium to Brent crude futures hit a record of about $95 a barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump said he backed the idea of a diesel export ban to lower prices that have hit record highs owing to a global supply shortage.

Europe has been highly dependent on diesel and jet fuel imports from the United States since the US-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted Middle East supplies. 

"Brent is being underpinned by surging gasoil prices amid renewed worries the US may introduce a diesel export ban," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Analysts and market watchers, however, have warned that such a measure would do little to ease high energy prices and could worsen supply and economic disruptions around the globe.

Oil prices have come under pressure this week on rising Gulf supplies and hopes for diplomatic talks to halt hostilities in the Middle East.  

Trump warned on Tuesday that he could "annihilate" Iran, but he also said his envoys had held productive talks with mediators of Iran to end the war.

"The only news that is worth focusing on from a lower price point is the reopening of the East-West Saudi pipeline," Hansen added. 

Saudi Arabia resumed operations on its East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea on Tuesday, said three sources briefed on the matter.

Drone attacks, which Saudi Arabia has blamed on Iraqi militia, forced the kingdom to shut the pipeline on September 11, halting crude loadings at Yanbu port.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday offered more barrels to Asian refiners for lifting from locations outside of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq, too, is increasing oil exports, its oil minister said on Tuesday. The country is exporting more than 3 million bpd, he said, and expects to boost exports via Turkey to more than 600,000 barrels per day.

Meanwhile, further supporting the improved supply outlook, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.

Adding to downward pressure on oil prices, industry data showed that US crude inventories rose by 1.8 million barrels in the week to September 18. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a decline. [API/S]

Official weekly inventory figures from the US Energy Information Administration are due at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT).

(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in London, Helen Clark in Perth and Siyi Liu in SingaporeEditing by David Goodman)