Oil prices fall as Libyan oil output heals after reopening of Al-Sharara oilfield west Libya

Oil prices fell on Tuesday as a rebound in Libyan crude production combined with an increase in U.S. drilling to signal the potential for increased supply, Reuters said.

Benchmark Brent crude oil was down 20 cents at $52.92 a barrel by 0835 GMT. U.S. light crude oil was 20 cents lower at $50.04 a barrel, it added.

Reuters added that both benchmarks recovered from four-month lows last week on expectations that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would manage to tighten supply by cutting production under a deal agreed at the end of last year.

But global inventories remain stubbornly high and many investors are betting that it will take many months for oil prices to respond convincingly to lower OPEC output, according to Reuters.

“Libya’s gain means oil market pain,” said Tamas Varga, senior analyst at London brokerage PVM Oil Associates.

“Along with figures showing U.S. drillers added rigs for an 11th week in a row, the pullback in oil prices was spearheaded by a rebound in Libyan oil production.” Reported Reuters.

Libya’s crude output increased after state-owned National Oil Corp (NOC) lifted a force majeure on loadings of Sharara oil from the Zawiya terminal in the west of the country, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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