The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is having a rough trot this month despite no news having been released by the company.
The hard slog for Woodside has also come despite relatively steady oil prices.
Since the end of August, the Woodside share price has fallen just 1.2%. However, it fell more than 3% over the past week.
The Woodside share price finished Friday's session trading at $19.27. It gained 0.36% over the course of the day.
Let's take a look at what's been driving Woodside lower on the ASX.
Image source: Getty Images
What's up with Woodside?
The Woodside share price has been struggling this week despite oil prices remaining relatively steady.
The month started off well for the price of oil, and while it's been up and down since, it ultimately hasn't moved much.
The steady oil price comes despite reports China attempted to debase the oil market on Friday. According to reporting by Bloomberg, China released crude oil from its strategic reserve in an attempt to cool oil prices.
While today's news hasn't noticeably affected Woodside's stock or the price of oil today, it may soon dent confidence in the sector.
Other news that might be weighing on the Woodside share price is its planned merger with BHP Group Ltd's (ASX: BHP) oil assets. The two companies announced their intent to merge in August.
Under the proposal, Woodside will onboard BHP's oil assets while BHP would walk away with a 48% holding in the newly expanded Woodside.
Another potential weight on Woodside's shares is the company's competitors, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), which have been inundated with expectation recently.
The market's anticipation ended with Friday's announcement that the pair will be merging to create a $21 billion competitor for Woodside.
However, the confirmation of the Santos-Oil Search merger didn't seemingly hurt the Woodside share price on Friday.
Woodside share price snapshot
Last week's slip was just the latest fall faced by Woodside's stock.
It is currently 16% lower than it was at the start of 2021. However, it has gained 5% since this time last year.
