Jonathan Chappell of Evercore Partners says cuts are unlikely and believes easements of the US ban on crude exports could occur in the near-term, which is based on a bet that the new Republican-led Senate will focus on energy policy.

The report, which follows conversations with colleagues who hosted a call that focused on oil price volatility and takeaways from a recent visit to the Middle East earlier in the day, argued that this forecast bodes well for US-listed tanker owners.

Chappell