Oil prices edged higher in early trade on Tuesday after sinking in the previous session on weaker-than-expected Chinese economic growth, as investors eyed a possible tightening of U.S. crude supplies.
Brent crude gained 11 cents to $78.61 a barrel by 0017 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 15 cents to $74.30 a barrel.
Both contracts fell more than 1.5 percent on Monday.
Investors awaited industry data later on Tuesday that was expected to show U.S. crude oil stockpiles and product inventories likely fell last week.
Meanwhile, U.S. shale oil production is projected to fall to nearly 9.40 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, which would be the first monthly decline since December 2022, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Monday.
Still, global supplies could see a boost from the resumption of output at two of three Libyan fields that were shut last week. Output had been halted by a protest against the abduction of a former finance minister.
Concern about China’s economy is keeping a lid on prices. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.3 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, compared with analyst forecasts of 7.3 percent, as its post-pandemic recovery lost momentum.
Read Next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
For all the latest Business News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.