Oil prices climbed by nearly 5% on Monday on hopes the Omicron coronavirus variant would have a less damaging economic impact if its symptoms proved mostly mild
Brent crude gained $1.85, or 2.7%, to $71.73 by 1135 GMT
Brent crude futures for February gained $1.61, or 2.3%, to $71.49 a barrel by 0720 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for January were at $67.89 a barrel, up $1.63, or 2.5%
Oil prices rose by more than $1 a barrel on Monday after top exporter Saudi Arabia raised prices for its crude sold to Asia and the United States
Crude prices ended little changed after erasing earlier big gains on growing worries that rising coronavirus cases and a new variant could reduce global oil demand.
Japan's plan to release oil from strategic reserves despite the recent drop in oil prices, industry minister Koichi Hagiuda said
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to $66.77 a barrel at 0122 GMT, adding to a 1.4% gain on Thursday
U.S. front month contract traded volumes remained low, at about 267,000 - below the 200-day moving average and far lower than the last four days.
The Midcap and Smallcap indices also surged over a per cent each, and advancing shares outnumbered declining stocks in 2:1 ratio the BSE on Thursday
Brent crude futures for February were up $2.08, or 3%, at $71.31 a barrel at 1445 GMT.
Brent crude futures climbed 82 cents, or 1.1%, to $74.26 a barrel, after gaining 1% on Monday
Oil pared gains late on Monday, but finished the session higher as investors viewed Friday's slump in oil and financial markets as overdone absent more data on the Omicron coronavirus variant
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.79%
What happens next depends on whether the direst predictions for Omicron's impact are realized
Oil fell in tandem with other financial markets on fears that the new variant could slow economic growth and restrict movement again
Oil prices slid more than 1% on Friday on concerns that a global supply surplus could swell in the first quarter
Oil prices ticked lower on Thursday with investors waiting to see how major producers respond to the emergency crude release by major consuming countries designed to cool the market
The government will begin to move barrels into the market in mid- to late-December
Brent crude futures rose 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $82.44 a barrel by 0742 GMT