Monday 28 March 2022

Oil slumps as Shanghai lockdown exacerbates fear of weaker demand | Reuters

Oil slumps as Shanghai lockdown exacerbates fear of weaker demand | Reuters

Oil prices tumbled more than $5 on Monday as fears over weaker fuel demand in China grew after financial hub Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections.

The market kicked off another week of uncertainty, buffeted on one side by the war between Ukraine and Russia, the world's second-largest crude exporter, and expansion of COVID-related lockdowns in China, the largest crude importer globally. read more

Brent crude futures slid as low as $115.32 a barrel and were trading down $5.15, or 4.3%, at $115.50 at 0731 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures hit a low of $108.28 a barrel, and were down $5.30, or 4.7%, at $108.60.

Both benchmark contracts rose 1.4% on Friday, notching their first weekly gains in three weeks, with Brent surging 11.8% and WTI climbing 8.8%.

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