Crude oil falls on China data

Oil fell 4 per cent on Monday as weak economic data from China, the world's largest energy consumer, weighed on prices and an Opec source played down talk of an emergency meeting to stem the decline. China's manufacturing sector contracted at the fastest pace since 2012 in January. Brent April crude futures were down $1.44, or 4 per cent, at $34.55 a barrel at 1451 GMT. The March Brent contract, which expired on Friday, settled at $34.74 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate was down $1.56, or 4.6 per cent, at $32.06 a barrel.