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Brent crude futures gained $1.17, or 1.4%, to trade at $83.37 at
1235 GMT, extending gains of around 2.7% from the previous
session.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up $1.11,
or 1.4%, at $79.40 a barrel.
Both benchmark contracts jumped on Wednesday after government
data showed U.S. crude inventories fell by much more than
analysts had expected, posting a drop of 5.89 million barrels
for the week ending on Dec. 16. [EIA/S]
Distillate stocks, which include heating oil and jet fuel, also
declined, going against expectations for a build, in what PVM
analyst Stephen Brennock called "an overwhelmingly
price-supportive stock report from the EIA".
The falling stockpiles come as demand for heating oil is set to
soar with a powerful winter storm hitting the United States,
with sub-zero wind chills expected as far south as Texas and
record-breaking lows forecast for Florida and eastern states.
Jet fuel consumption is also expected to pick up with a post-COVID
boom in travel for the end-of-year holiday season, although
transport fuel demand might be reduced if the storm keeps people
from travelling.
Demand worries, however, stemming from China's COVID-19 surge
and fears of a global recession may keep oil futures in check.
China may be struggling to keep an accurate count of COVID
infections as it experiences a big spike in cases, a senior
World Health Organization official said on Wednesday, amid
concerns about a lack of data from the country.
(Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Mohi
Narayan in New Delhi; editing by Jason Neely)
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