OPEC’s secretary general said he was cautiously optimistic the oil market would recover this year from the slump in demand brought on by the coronavirus pandemic

Oil demand recovery will take a hit from a spike in new coronavirus cases before vaccine roll-outs and stimulus measures help in the second half of the year, International Energy Agency (IEA) said

Brent crude oil prices fell as much as $1 per barrel, hit by renewed concerns about global fuel demand amid tough coronavirus lockdowns across the globe, as well as a stronger U.S. dollar

Brent crude climbed 44 cents, or 0.8%, to $54.82 a barrel by 1007 GMT, the highest since late February, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 36 cents, or 0.7%, to $51.19, also its highest level since late February

Russia expects to support an increase in oil production by the group, known as OPEC+, of another 500,000 barrels per day from February at next month’s summit of the leading global oil producers

The roll-out of vaccines this month to combat the coronavirus pandemic will not quickly reverse the destruction wrought on global oil demand, International Energy Agency (IEA) warned

The Paris-based watchdog revised down its estimates for oil demand this year by 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) and for next year by 170,000 bpd, citing scarce jet fuel use as fewer people travel by air

Oil prices rose, pushing Brent back above $50 a barrel, 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

Oil prices eased, but were set for a sixth week of gains as progress towards novel coronavirus vaccination programmes fed hopes that demand for fuel would rebound next year

OPEC+ members will consider whether to extend existing oil cuts for three to four months or to gradually increase output from January during their two days of talks