Oil Steadies as Market Eyes China Recovery and EU Embargo

Oil Steadies as Market Eyes China Recovery and EU Embargo
An oil pump jack pumps oil in a field near Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 21, 2014. Todd Korol/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

LONDON—Oil prices steadied on Friday but were on track for a second week of losses as the market awaited further signs of fuel demand recovery in China and the impact of an EU embargo and price cap on Russian oil products.

Brent crude futures fell 18 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $81.99 a barrel by 1043 GMT, having dropped by about 1 percent in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures slipped by 14 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $75.74.