Oil prices rose on Monday, pushing Brent back above $50 a barrel.
This was buoyed by hopes that a rollout of coronavirus vaccines will lift global fuel demand while a tanker explosion in Saudi Arabia jangled nerves in the market.
Brent crude futures for February rose 38 cents, or 0.8 per cent to $50.35 a barrel by 0454 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for January were up 32 cents, or 0.7 per cent at $46.89 a barrel.
Prices also extended gains amid supply jitters after a shipping firm said its oil tanker exploded after being hit by an external source while discharging at Jeddah port in Saudi Arabia.
Brent and WTI have rallied for six consecutive weeks, their longest stretch of gains since June.
The U.S. kicked off its vaccination campaign against COVID-19, buoying hopes that pandemic restrictions could end soon and lift demand at the world’s largest oil consumer.
An extension of Brexit talks among European powers also buoyed financial markets on…
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
