The prospect of an abrupt supply shock in the energy market is making investors increasingly nervous about the possibility of oil prices soaring above $100 a barrel before year-end.
Oil prices have surged more than 25 percent this year, prompting investors to bet that a return to triple-digits could be just around the corner.
It comes as market players closely monitor a flurry of supply concerns, with looming U.S. sanctions against Iran, bottlenecks building in the U.S. shale industry and the collapse of Venezuela’s economy all intensifying an upside risk in the market.