Oil prices slid to near six-week lows on Thursday as China said it was moving to release reserves following a Reuters report that the United States was asking big crude consumers to consider a coordinated release of stocks to lower prices.
The bid by the U.S. administration to shock markets, asking China to join coordinated action for the first time, comes as inflationary pressures, partly driven by surging energy prices, start to produce a political backlash, as the world fitfully recovers from the worst health crisis in a century.
Brent crude was down 41 cents, or 0.5%, to $79.87 a barrel by 0712 GMT, after earlier dropping to $79.60, the lowest since Oct. 7.
