Oil prices mixed, US inventory build-up heightens oversupply concerns

TOKYO: Crude oilNSE -2.90 % benchmarks opened the month mixed on Wednesday, following their biggest-ever quarterly and monthly losses, overshadowed by fears of global oversupply as data showed a bigger-than-expected rise in inventories in the United States.

Brent crude was down by 21 cents, or 0.8%, at $26.14 a barrel by 0032 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up by 27 cents, or 1.3%, at $20.75 a barrel.

U.S. crude inventories rose by 10.5 million barrels last week, far exceeding forecasts for a 4 million barrel build-up, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed.