Oil prices fell 1% in early trading on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session, after OPEC+ postponed a ministerial meeting stoking views the producers might cut output less than earlier anticipated.
Brent futures fell 81 cents, or 1%, to $81.15 a barrel, after falling as much as 4% on Wednesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 72 cents, or 0.9%, to $76.40, after declining as much as 5% in the previous session.
Trade was expected to remain muted due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
In a surprise move, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia delayed to Nov. 30 a ministerial meeting where they were expected to discuss oil output cuts.
Producers were struggling to agree on output levels and hence possible reductions ahead of the meeting originally set for Nov. 26, OPEC+ sources said.
Three OPEC+ sources, however, said this was linked to African countries, which are smaller producers in the group, which eased investor concerns.
The questions over OPEC+ supply come as data showed U.S. crude stocks jumped by 8.7 million barrels last week, which was much more than the 1.16-million build that analysts had expected. [EIA/S]
U.S. oil rigs remained unchanged at 500 in the week to Nov. 22, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Wednesday. [RIG/U]
Meanwhile, about 3% of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, or around 61,165 barrels of daily output, was shut in by an underwater pipeline leak, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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