World oil prices started to rise on Tuesday, reaching $86.68 per barrel. Investors are waiting for the weakening of quarantine measures in China and are assessing the prospects for the OPEC+ meeting scheduled for Sunday. The current quotation of Brent crude oil is $86.00 per barrel, North American WTI oil is trading at $79.35 per barrel. Yesterday, the quotes showed a noticeable decline: the Brent price fell below the level of $81 per barrel for the first time since January 11, 2022. As you know, a record increase in Covid-19 infections was recorded in China for several days in a row, as a result of which some quarantine restrictions were tightened, and riots and protest actions took place in a number of cities. Now the markets expect that the Chinese authorities may move to ease restrictive measures. And since China is one of the largest consumers and importers of oil, expectations about the country's economy affect the prospects for demand for this type of raw material. In addition, market participants are waiting for the OPEC+ meeting scheduled for Sunday. Traders evaluate what measures the alliance can take against the background of supply and demand risks. Also, the market dynamics are influenced by the results of meetings of EU countries, at which European diplomats are trying to agree on the introduction of a specific price limit for Russian oil. At the moment, the countries have again failed to come to an agreement.
