Oil prices extend rise this month on signs of tighter supply

LONDON: Oil prices rose for a third straight day on Thursday on tighter supply after U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan exports and lower-than-expected U.S. fuel stocks, extending a surge this month as a so-called OPEC+ production cut pact took effect.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), along with allies including Russia, announced supply cuts effective Jan. 1 to tighten the market after worries over a global glut caused heavy price losses in late 2018.

Still, concerns over the outcome of U.S.-China trade talks, which resumed in Washington on Wednesday, have jangled investors' nerves.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 61 cents, or 1.12 percent, at $54.84 per barrel at 1445 GMT.

Brent crude oil futures were up 41 cents, or 0.67 percent, at $62.06 per barrel.

The March contract expires on Thursday.

WTI futures were up over 20 percent compared with their December close, while Brent climbed just over 15 percent.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday showed U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose less than expected last week due to lower imports, notably a fall in Saudi crude supply.

"Crude oil prices were stronger after signs emerged that OPEC cuts are impacting trade," ANZ bank analysts wrote in a note, calling it the second lowest weekly level since 2010.

U.S. sanctions imposed on state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) this week are also causing some supply disruptions.

Oil inventories have started to build up at Venezuela's oil ports and terminals as PDVSA is finding it cannot export crude at its usual rate due to U.S. sanctions imposed this week.

As of Wednesday, Venezuela had 25 tankers with nearly 18 million barrels of crude - representing about two weeks of the country's production - waiting to load or for authorisation to set sail, shipping data showed.

"With the likelihood of a forthcoming decline in Venezuelan production, producer cuts to rebalance the market will prove more effective," Harry Tchilinguirian, strategist at BNP Paribas in London, told the Reuters Global Oil Forum.

But global markets are anxiously awaiting the outcome of talks aimed at easing a months-long tariff war between the world's top two economies.

"Market participants desperately need to see a tangible progress in the U.S.-China trade talks, which unfortunately is in short supply at present," said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy in London.

The two-day talks are expected to be tense, with little indication that Beijing will address core U.S. demands. If the two sides cannot reach a deal soon, Washington has threatened to more than double tariffs on Chinese goods on March 2.