Brent crude oil edged lower as investors booked profits on Friday after gaining for four straight days and hitting overbought conditions as it topped $120 a barrel. But Brent crude remains on track for its fourth consecutive weekly gain, with prices elevated due to fears of supply disruptions in Iran and rising confidence that Greece will finally secure a debt bailout deal by Monday.
US crude rose for the third consecutive day, buoyed by a series of positive economic data, although a report on Thursday that US consumer prices rose the most in four months in January due to a spike in gasoline prices raised concerns that higher energy costs could slow the economic recovery.
US crude nonetheless was on course to post its second straight week of gains. "Oil prices are back to the mixed price performance that has typified trade over much of the past week, with traders performing a daily assessment of what's hot and what's not," said Tim Evans, energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York. In London, ICE Brent crude for April delivery was down 48 cents to $119.63 a barrel by 1:20 pm EST (1820 GMT). It had dropped to a session low of $118.85, after climbing to $120.70 in early trading, the highest intraday since June 15.
Brent crude's Relative Strength Index (RSI) fell back to 70, from 73.6 on Thursday, according to Reuters data. A reading of 70 is the threshold for overbought conditions. US NYMEX March crude was up $1.11 at $103.42, having risen earlier to a six-week high of $103.57.
Brent's premium against US crude narrowed sharply to around $15.90, after closing at $17.47 on Thursday. Brent's total volume was down 7.3 percent from its 30-day average while US crude's volume was off 17.6 percent from its 30-day average, according to Reuters data. "On the technical side, WTI (West Texas Intermediary crude) has held its ground, providing minor dips all week long (and) there has been good call spread buying all week long, providing for an upward bias," said Tony Rosado, options broker with GA Global Markets in New York.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accused by the West of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, said in Pakistan that foreign nations were determined to dominate the region and that this should not be allowed. Ahmadinejad's remarks follows a string of belligerent comments from Iranian officials raising threats that Iran would retaliate in the wake of sanctions the West has imposed on Tehran due to its disputed nuclear program.
Iran, however, has sent a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton signalling willingness to resume nuclear talks with world powers that have been frozen since January last year. The United States and EU expressed cautious optimism, but emphasised any new negotiations must be sustained and focused on the nuclear issue.
Iran's top oil customers in Europe are already making substantial cuts in imports ahead of EU sanctions that take effect in July, reducing flows to the continent in March by more than a third, industry sources said.
This has increased demand for replacement barrels from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Russia, leading to higher prices, although there is no shortage of actual supply. Meanwhile, Greece edged closer to winning a second rescue package worth 130 billion euros ($170 billion) as officials in Athens said Germany was optimistic a deal could be struck despite misgivings over whether Greece would stick to its commitments.
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