Brent crude was down 53 cents, or 0.7 pc, at $71.47 a barrel by 1:25 p.m. EDT (1725 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil declined 35 cents to $68.01 a barrel, snapping a three day rally.
Brent rose 12 cents, or 0.2pc, to $75.31 a barrel by 12:28 p.m. EDT (1628 GMT), after earlier rising to $75.78. U.S. crude slipped 1 cent to $73.07 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $73.61 earlier.
U.S. energy firms cut the number of oil rigs operating for the first time since March, as rigs fell by one to 438 this week, according to energy services firm Baker Hughes Co.
Brent futures rose 20 cents, or 0.3pc, to $63.36 a barrel by 11:43 a.m. EDT (1543 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 2 cents to $59.79.
Brent crude rose 28 cents to $54.58 a barrel by 11:35 a.m. EST (1635 GMT) after touching $54.90, a fresh high not seen since before the first COVID-19 lockdowns in the West.