Oil Prices in International Market rises more than 1 %
oil price
Oil prices on Tuesday rose more than 1% as recent sharp falls have encouraged investors holding short positions to book profits.
But the market remains nervous over the Wuhan virus, which has now killed more than 1,000 in China.
Brent crude LCOc1 rose 79 cents, or nearly 1.5%, to $54.06 a barrel by 0216 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was up 63 cents, or about 1.3%, to $50.20.
“I know volumes are very weak today … I also would like to point out that we are in a technical support level and that might be encouraging those who are short to take profits,” Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, told Reuters over the phone.
U.S. crude oil inventories estimated to have risen by 2.9 million barrels in the week to Feb. 7, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday, which would make it the third week in a row where stock levels have increased.
Oil supplies out of Brazil have also been growing, with Petrobras having hit a new production record in the last quarter of 2019 at more than 3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
