Crude oil prices steady as rising Libyan output offsets supply worries
LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices were steady on Monday, as investor bets that global supply will remain tight amid restraint by major producers were offset by a rise in Libyan output.
Brent crude was down 4 cents, or 0.1%, to $86.02 a barrel by 0953 GMT. Earlier in the session, the contract touched its highest since Oct. 3, 2018 at $86.71.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 20 cents, or 0.2%, at $84.02 a barrel, after hitting $84.78, the highest since Nov. 10, 2021, earlier in the session.
Frantic oil buying, driven by supply outages and signs the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will not be as disruptive as feared for fuel demand, has pushed some crude grades to multi-year highs, suggesting the rally in Brent futures could be sustained a while longer, traders said.
