Singapore June 10 2022: Oil prices slipped on Friday but remained within touching distance of three-month highs as fears over new COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai outweighed solid demand for fuels in the United States, the world’s top consumer.
Brent crude futures for August were down 77 cents, or 0.6%, at $122.30 a barrel as of 0448 GMT after a 0.4% decline the previous day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July fell 72 cents, or 0.6%, to $120.79 a barrel, having dropped 0.5% on Thursday.
Still, with prices overall rallying in the last two months, Brent was on track for a fourth consecutive weekly gain and WTI was set for a seventh straight weekly increase. Both benchmarks on Wednesday marked their highest closes since March 8, the highest settlements in 14 years.
Shanghai and Beijing went back on a fresh COVID alert on Thursday after parts of China’s largest economic hub imposed new lockdown restriction and the city announced a round of mass testing for millions of residents.
China’s crude oil imports rose nearly 12% in May from a low base in a year earlier, although refiners were still battling high inventories with COVID-19 lockdowns and a slowing economy weighing on fuel demand last month.
