Market Speaks: EIA says elevated inventories weighed on oil prices in 2025

The US Energy Information Administration or EIA stated in a latest update yesterday that Crude oil prices generally declined in 2025 with supplies in the global crude oil market exceeding demand. Crude oil inventory builds in China muted some of the price decline. Events such as Israel’s June 13 strikes on Iran and attacks between Russia and Ukraine targeting oil infrastructure periodically supported prices. EIA noted that on a monthly average basis, the price of Brent crude oil declined from a high of $79 per barrel (b) in January to a low of $63/b in December, which was the lowest monthly average price since early 2021. The annual average price was $69/b, the lowest since 2020, even when adjusting for inflation.

In the first half of the year, crude oil prices declined in response to slowing economic activity, which can affect global oil demand. In the second half of the year, OPEC+ announcements that increased crude oil production targets for the group increased the prospect of an oversupplied market. EIA recently estimated that global production of crude oil and liquid fuels outpaced consumption throughout 2025, with implied stock builds of more than 2.5 million barrels per day in the final two quarters of the year. These stock builds were the largest recorded since 2000, aside from in 2020.

Powered by Commodity Insights