Oil edges lower in Asian trade, Brent holds above $105
Oil prices dip as Middle East tensions and US tanker policies weigh on markets
Oil prices fell in early Asian trading Friday, with Brent crude remaining above $105 a barrel as markets weighed persistent threats to Middle Eastern supplies against plans to release more emergency oil reserves.
Brent crude was quoted at $105.50 a barrel, down 45 cents, or 0.42%, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 53 cents, or 0.54%, to $97.44, according to OilPrice.com data at about 10:40 am Tokyo time (5.40am Gulf, 1.40am GMT) on Oct. 16, 2026.
Murban crude declined 97 cents, or 0.87%, to $110 a barrel.
Natural gas was quoted at $3.207, down 2.9 cents, or 0.90%, although the screenshot did not identify the contract or pricing unit.
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The declines followed a mixed session Thursday. WTI futures for November delivery rose $2.88, or about 3%, to settle at $97.97 a barrel, while Brent futures for December delivery slipped 14 cents to $105.92, according to CNBC.
Markets remain sensitive to attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over the security of oil shipments from the Gulf as well as the Black Sea.
Reporting this week described renewed threats to commercial vessels and disruptions to regional trade routes, keeping supply risks in focus despite Friday’s early price declines.
Providing a potential counterweight, International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries pledged to complete the release of 100 million barrels still outstanding from an emergency intervention announced in March, Bloomberg reported.
The additional supplies could help offset shortages as traders assess the extent of continuing disruptions.
The same report put Dated Brent, a benchmark for physical crude cargoes, near $130 a barrel — substantially above Brent futures — highlighting the strain in the market for immediately available oil.
