Oil prices were mixed on Friday as China's Covid-19 lockdowns and supply disruption fears weighed on the outlook for crude demand, as Western sanctions curb crude and products exports from Russia.
Brent crude futures rose 15 cents to $107.74 a barrel after gaining 2.1% in the previous session. The front-month June contract expired on Friday. The more active July contract rose 26 cents to $107.52 a barrel, Reuters reported.
US West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 3 cents to $105.33 a barrel after settling 3.3% higher on Thursday.
Both contracts are set to close the week higher, with WTI on track to post five straight months of gains, buoyed by the increased likelihood that Germany will join other European Union member states in an embargo on Russian oil.
Oil prices are still volatile as Beijing has shown no sign of easing lockdown measures despite the impact on its economy and global supply chains.
"With lockdowns ramping up since March, China's economic indicators have plunged further into the red. We now expect China's GDP to slow further in Q2," Wood Mackenzie's head of APAC Economics, Yanting Zhou, said.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints