Crude oil futures were lower in mid-morning trade in Asia on Aug. 18 as investors took some profit and paused for fresh drivers after an overnight rally on improved fundamental outlook buoyed the global crude complex. At 10:19 am Singapore time (0219 GMT), the ICE Brent October crude futures were down 17 cents/b (0.37%) from the Aug. 17 settle at $45.20/b, while NYMEX September light sweet crude contract was down by 19 cents/b (0.44%) at $42.70/b. “This morning’s [Aug. 18] activity looks like some profit-taking but mostly a pause to reassess the tug-of-war between the financials and the fundamentals,” Vandana Hari, Founder and CEO of oil consultancy firm, Vanda Insights told Platts on Aug. 18. “The dollar’s continuing slide is the biggest support for crude’s ascent. The growing unease that global oil demand […]