Oil prices rise on China demand recovery expectations, supply concerns

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices rose on Wednesday on expectations that easing COVID-19 restrictions in China will boost demand and as supply concerns grew.

Brent crude was up $1.24 cents, or 1.1%, at $113.17 a barrel at 0921 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $1.69 cents, or 1.5%, to $114.09 a barrel, reversing some of the previous session’s losses.

Hopes of further lockdown easing in China boosted expectations for demand recovery. The country’s authorities allowed 864 of Shanghai’s financial institutions to resume work, sources said on Wednesday, a day after the Chinese city achieved a milestone of three consecutive days with no new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine zones.