Crude Futures Little Changed In Asia

A limited round of pre-NFP Asia-Pac trade leaves WTI & Brent dealing little changed vs. their respective settlement levels. To recap, a softer USD, an uptick in U.S. equities and continued fallout from Hurricane Ida & this week's U.S. inventory data supported crude on Thursday. Late in the day BSEE revealed a surprise uptick in shut in Gulf of Mexico output, while RTRS sources noted that "Hurricane Ida's extensive damage to Louisiana heliports and fuel depots is hampering the return of offshore production crews to U.S. Gulf of Mexico platforms." Elsewhere, U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm authorised a 1.5mn bbl loan of oil reserves to an Exxon Mobil refinery in Louisiana, as the country looks to bridge disruptions in the wake of Ida.