Oil prices eased in early Asian trading on Monday as fears of weaker demand in top oil importer China weighed on market sentiment while investors focus on the progress of ceasefire talks in the Middle East, which could reduce supply risks.
Brent crude futures dropped 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $79.55 per barrel by 0032 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures slid 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $76.52 a barrel.
Both benchmarks fell nearly 2% last Friday as investors tempered expectations of demand growth from China, but ended the week largely unchanged from a week earlier after a batch of U.S. data last week showed inflation was moderating and retail spending was robust.
“Persistent concerns about slow demand in China led to a sell-off,” said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, president of NS Trading, a unit of Nissan Securities, adding another factor was the approaching end of the peak driving season in the United States.
“Still, tensions in the Middle East and the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, which pose supply risks, are underpinning the market,” he said.
