SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose on Monday over supply concerns in the Middle East and as the US market showed further signs of tightening while demand in Asia keeps rising.
Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $57.84 at 0056 GMT, up 9 cents, or 0.16 percent, from their last close.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $52.03 per barrel, up 19 cents, or 0.37 percent.
“Oil prices are holding comfortably above $50 as possible supply disruptions in the Kurdish region of Iraq support prices,” said William O’Loughlin, investment analyst at Rivkin Securities.
“US production was also recently impacted by a hurricane for the second time in as many months and the number of US drilling rigs declined for the third week in a row,” O’Loughlin said.
The amount of US oil rigs drilling for new production fell by seven to 736 in the week to Oct. 20, the lowest level since June, General Electric Co’s Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday.
Oil prices rise on tightening supply, strong demand
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