Oil prices fell on Monday on fears that surging COVID-19 cases in India will drive down fuel demand in the world's third biggest oil importer and as investors adjusted positions ahead of a planned increase in OPEC+ oil output from May.
Brent crude futures dropped 38 cents, or 0.6%, to $65.73 a barrel by 0507 GMT, following a 1.1% rise on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 31 cents, or 0.5%, at $61.83 a barrel, after rising 1.2% on Friday, as reported by Reuters.
Both benchmark crudes fell about 1% last week.
Read alsoKuleba explains major threat to Ukraine posed by Nord Stream 2The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, known as OPEC+, surprised the market at its April 1 meeting by agreeing to ease production curbs by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May, another 350,000 bpd in June and a further 400,000 bpd or so in July.
The producer group will hold a largely technical meeting this week, with major changes to policy unlikely, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and OPEC+ sources said last week.
A technical committee meeting is set for Monday, where market fundamentals and compliance with production cuts will be discussed.
