Oil prices pick up on prospect of US replenishing strategic reserve
Oil prices rose on Thursday on the prospect the U.S. may start buying crude for its petroleum reserve, after prices sank to a seven-week low on hopes for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire, doubts about U.S. interest rate cuts and swelling oil inventories.
Snapping three days of losses, Brent crude futures for July gained 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $83.65 a barrel by 0026 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June climbed 22 cents, or 0.3%, to $79.22 a barrel.
