Oil Drops as New Coronavirus Strain Triggers Demand Recovery Fears

Oil prices dropped further on Tuesday, adding to steep losses from the previous session, as a new strain of the novel coronavirus in the United Kingdom triggered concerns over fuel demand recovery.

The fast-spreading new coronavirus strain has shut down much of Britain, and has prompted several countries to close their borders to British travellers and freight.

Brent crude futures were down 54 cents, or 1.1% to $50.37 a barrel at 0531 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 59 cents, or 1.2%, to $47.38 a barrel.

Both benchmark contracts slid nearly 3% on Monday, partly erasing recent strong gains on the back of the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, seen as key to easing mobility restrictions.

After the UK government warned that a new variant of the virus seemed to be spreading much faster than previous kinds, India, Pakistan, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong joined European countries in suspending travel from Britain, and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman closed their borders completely.

“The nightmare before Christmas scenario has set in, with a combination of the ‘mutant virus’ compounded by Brexit angst,” said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at Axi, referring to doubts over whether UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson can secure a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

Innes said the oil market had been overbought, so the selloff was inevitable

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