
Oil prices rise on disruption fears after latest Red Sea attack
Oil prices rose in the first session of the new year, boosted by potential disruption to Middle Eastern supply after the latest attack on a container ship in the Red Sea, and by Chinese demand hopes.
Brent crude was up 49 cents, or 0.6%, to $77.53 a barrel at 1432 GMT. U.S.
West Texas Intermediate crude was up 36 cents, or 0.5%, at $72.01, after both benchmarks gained around $2 in earlier trading.
A Reuters survey of economists and analysts predicted that Brent crude would average $82.56 a barrel this year, up slightly from the 2023 average of $82.17, with weak global growth expected to cap demand. Geopolitical tensions, however, could provide price support.
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