Oil prices fall in early trade but remain buoyed by China outlook

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Oil prices drifted lower in early trade on Monday, thinned by the Lunar New Year holiday in east Asia, but held on to most of last week’s gains on the prospect of an economic recovery in top oil importer China this year.

Brent crude futures retreated by 46 cents, or 0.5%, to $87.17 at 0031 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 40 cents, also down 0.5%, to $81.24 a barrel.

Last week Brent rose 2.8%, while the U.S. benchmark logged a 1.8% gain.

Data shows a solid pick-up in travel in China after COVID-19 curbs were eased, ANZ commodity analysts said in a note, pointing to a 22% jump in road traffic congestion so far this month from a year earlier in the country’s 15 key cities.