Before the contract expires later this week, rent crude futures for August delivery increased by seven cents, or 0.08 percent, to $86.06 per barrel at 00:15 GMT. To $85.23, the most traded September contract gained 8 cents, or 0.09%.
US rough prospects rose 11 pennies, or 0.13%, to $81.74 per barrel.
Last week, both benchmarks gained about 3%, making gains for two weeks in a row. However, since then, concerns have grown regarding the prospects for recovery in the world’s second largest economy.
