Brent & WTI Crude Edge Higher Amid China Stimulus Middle East Tensions
Brent crude futures rose 8 cents, or 0.11%, to $73.14 a barrel by 0120 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 10 cents, or 0.14% to $69.32 a barrel.
Brent had settled down more than 7% lower last week, while WTI lost around 8%.
That marked the contracts’ biggest weekly decline since Sept. 2, and it was due to slowing economic growth in China and falling risk premiums in the Middle East.
US President Joe Biden said on Friday there was an opportunity to “deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while”.
The conflict in the Middle East however intensified over the weekend as Israel on Sunday said it was preparing to attack sites in the Lebanese capital of Beirut linked to Hezbollah’s financial operations.
Oil prices jump 4% on US storm and Israel-Iran fears
On Monday morning, China cut benchmark lending rates as anticipated, part of a broader package of stimulus measures to revive the economy.
Data on Friday showed that China’s economy grew slowly since early 2023 in the third quarter, fuelling growing concerns about oil demand.
On the supply side, last week, U.S. energy firms cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the fourth time in five weeks, according to a closely watched report by energy services firm Baker Hughes BKR.O on Friday. The rig count dropped by one to 585.
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