Oil prices edged higher on Friday, heading for a small weekly loss, as investors weighed new European Union sanctions against Russia.
Brent crude futures climbed 50 cents, or 0.72%, to $70.02 a barrel as of 0912 GMT, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 61 cents, or 0.9%, to $68.15 a barrel.
Investors mulled the potential impact on global oil balances of the EU's agreement on an 18th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, which includes measures aimed at dealing further blows to Russia's oil and energy industries.
Its latest sanctions package will lower the G7's price cap for buying Russian crude oil to $47.6 per barrel, diplomats told Reuters.
"Neither the price cap for Russian oil nor adding shadow fleet tankers on a sanction list managed to disrupt Russian oil exports so far, so the market remains sceptical of the impact of the latest sanctions," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.
Investors are awaiting news from the U.S. on possible further sanctions, after President Donald Trump earlier this week threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports unless Moscow agrees a peace deal in 50 days.
"Ultimately, it is now a matter of waiting for possible major changes in U.S. sanctions and tariff policy," Commerzbank analysts said in a note.
Four days of drone attacks on oilfields in Iraqi Kurdistan that shut down half the region's output have supported prices, pushing both contracts up by $1 on Thursday.
The attacks "are bound to take their toll as the region’s output has been slashed from 280,000 bpd to around 130,000 barrels per day," said PVM analyst Tamas Varga.
Officials pointed to Iran-backed militias as the likely source of attacks this week on the region's oilfields, although no group has claimed responsibility.
Despite the attack, Iraq's federal government said on Thursday that Iraqi Kurdistan will resume oil exports through a pipeline to Turkey after a two-year halt.
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Oil prices rose on Monday after the United States clinched a trade deal with the European Union and may extend a tariff pause with China, relieving concerns that higher levies could have hurt economic activity and limited fuel demand.
Oil prices fell below the key $70 per barrel mark last week as increased output from OPEC+ eased supply concerns, while renewed U.S. tariff threats under President Donald Trump weighed on global demand expectations.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday, maintaining their highest levels since 23 June, lifted by recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, along with concerns over steep U.S. tariffs on copper and a forecast for lower U.S. oil production.
Oil futures fell on Friday after Iran reaffirmed its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and amid expectations that major producers are set to agree to raise their output this weekend.
Indonesian authorities evacuated more than 900 people from nearby villages and were helping 170 stranded climbers return safely after the eruption of Semeru volcano, one of the country's tallest mountains.
Iran's air force, heavily reliant on aging F-14A Tomcat jets, faces a growing technological gap as its neighbors rapidly modernize their air forces with advanced fighter jets and air defense systems.
Ukraine says it will seek almost $44 billion from Russia to cover the climate damage caused by wartime emissions, marking the first attempt by any nation to bill an aggressor for its carbon footprint during conflict.
A fresh wave of floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in central Vietnam since the weekend has claimed at least eight lives, according to a government report on Wednesday. Traders have also cautioned that the extreme weather could disrupt the ongoing coffee harvest.
Germany has returned 12 royal-era cultural artefacts to Ethiopia in a ceremony in Addis Ababa, marking a formal step in ongoing cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Google has announced a major update for its Pixel 10 series: owners can now send and receive files with Apple devices using AirDrop, without any collaboration from Apple. The new functionality applies to iPhones, iPads, and macOS devices, though for now it is limited to the Pixel 10 line.
European shares climbed on Thursday, as a relief rally swept through global markets after artificial intelligence (AI) bellwether Nvidia reported strong earnings, while investors awaited the release of delayed U.S. jobs data.
Mainland China and Hong Kong equities slipped on Tuesday, Reuters reported, as investors grew cautious ahead of delayed U.S. economic data expected to clarify the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook.
A federal jury in California ruled on Friday that Apple must pay $634 million to Masimo, a medical-monitoring technology company, for infringing a patent related to blood-oxygen reading technology.
Wall Street closed sharply lower on Thursday, dragged down by steep losses in Nvidia, Tesla, and other artificial-intelligence heavyweights, as investors dialed back expectations for further Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts amid renewed inflation concerns and mixed signals from policymakers.
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