VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Asian shares fell back from a seven-week high on Tuesday as oil prices fell more than 2 percent. The sudden drop happened after the Asia-Pacific indices rose to its highest level since the beginning of the year, after seeing the rise in oil prices before reversing back.

The skyrocketing oil inventories are paving the way for more traffic jams on the seashores as oil tankers are queuing up along the US Gulf Coast. The uncompromised Opec's decision to continue its production level coupled with shale production in the US is adding to huge volumes of inventories.

Oil prices rose following the indications that stockpiles are declining and drop in drilling activity. The global oil benchmark Brent was up three percent as expectations that less drilling may reduce future oil production and inventories as well. Gasoline futures also surged on renewed demand. US crude's front-month rose 4.5 percent or $2 to end at $46.68 a barrel. Brent rose 3.1 percent and closed at $48.92/barrel. It's learnt that US drillers have called off drilling activity for the past three weeks. It's estimated that the US crude production may drop by 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) the second and fourth quarters this year.

Gas becomes less expensive because the bottom has fallen out on oil prices. Crude is responsible for almost half the cost of a gallon of gas, as reported by CNN Money. Since June, prices have been plummeting and according to AAA, the regular gasoline's average price is now at $2.40 per gallon or more than a dollar less than it was a year ago. The plunge has been widespread and average prices are still above $3 in only four states namely: California, Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii wherein the last two states have everything that is often more expensive.

The Reserve Bank of India won't cut its key interest rate again until the final quarter of the year as it waits to see how the monsoon season affects food prices, a Reuters poll found.

Oil fell nearly 3 percent on Wednesday as traders and investors ignored a fifth straight weekly decline in U.S. crude stockpiles to focus instead on a big build in distillates, including diesel, as the peak season for U.S. road travel gets under way.

U.S. shale oil producers, having weathered the worst price plunge in their industry's brief history, now face a dilemma: whether to stay in a defensive crouch after slashing their rig fleets, or start drilling more wells to capture a partial recovery in prices.

Oil edged lower on Monday on signs that a multi-week rally was encouraging a rejuvenation in already bloated U.S. shale supplies, even as the government expected less output in June from the fastest-growing fields.

Oil prices tumbled 3 percent on Thursday as a resurgent dollar erased gains from the past two sessions, setting the market up for its first weekly loss in five.

Oil rounded out its best monthly gain in six years on Thursday, with the two global benchmarks for crude rising between 20 and 25 percent in April, helped by a weaker dollar and bets that a supply glut would ease.

Equities in major markets slipped on Monday, weighed down by Wall Street on trepidation over first-quarter earnings, while crude prices added to last week's gains on concern about Middle East tensions.

Crude futures rose on Monday, but closed well below intraday peaks, as concerns about Iran and turmoil in Yemen supported prices, while the global supply glut continued to cap gains.

Crude prices rose as much as 6 percent on Thursday after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched air strikes on Yemen, pushing shares lower in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and lifting oil producers' currencies.

A subtle change in office attire may be the most telling symbol of a quiet revolution taking place inside Venezuela's troubled economic engine, giant oil firm PDVSA.

Iran said oil prices would not rise above $60 a barrel until 2016 and that it would increase crude exports if Western sanctions over its nuclear program were lifted, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Friday.