Oil prices slip but traders cheer vaccine approval | Reuters

Oil prices slip but traders cheer vaccine approval | Reuters

Oil prices fell early on Wednesday but later pared some of the losses on news that Britain has become the first country in the world to approve a vaccine for use and that it will be rolled out from early next week.

Prices had been hit earlier by a surprise build in oil inventories in the United States and as OPEC and its allies left markets in limbo by delaying a formal meeting to decide whether to increase output in January.

Brent crude oil futures were down by 8 cents, or 0.2%, at $47.34 a barrel by 0743 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude was down by 14 cents, or 0.1%, at $44.41.

Industry data from the American Petroleum Institute showed U.S. crude inventories rose by 4.1 million barrels last week, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a draw of 2.4 million barrels.

The numbers came after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other allies, a group known as OPEC+, postponed talks on next year’s oil output policy to Thursday from Tuesday, according to sources.