Oil slipped on Tuesday as OPEC and its allies geared up for a meeting on Wednesday amid calls from the United States to pump more crude, though Brent still traded well above $70 a barrel
Prices were also under pressure from concerns that power outages and flooding in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida will cut crude demand from refineries.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies will meet on Wednesday to assess the global market and prospects for demand as the pandemic grinds on.
By Jessica Resnick-Ault
OPEC+ is likely to keep its oil output policy unchanged when the group meets on Wednesday and continue with its planned modest production increase, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters
It's a marked reversal for the Paris-based agency, which just a month ago was urging the Opec+ alliance to open the taps or risk a damaging spike in prices
The OPEC in a monthly report also raised its forecast of supply from rivals, including US shale producers, next year, a potential headwind for the efforts of the group and allies to balance the market
Oil gained Wednesday, changing course after Biden administration said it would not call on US producers to increase crude output, and that efforts to increase OPEC production were a longer-range plan
China's factory activity growth slipped sharply in July as demand contracted for the first time in more than a year
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices tumbled about 4% on Monday as weak economic data from China and the United States, the world's top oil consumers, and higher crude output from OPEC producers stoked fears of weakness in oil demand and oversupply.
Brent crude oil futures skidded $1.12, or 1.5%, to $74.29 a barrel
Brent crude lost $4.23, or 5.8%, at $69.36 a barrel by 11:08 a.m. EDT (1508 GMT).
India has taken up the issue of high oil prices with producer nations and OPEC, demanding affordable rates, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Brent crude was down $1, or 1.4%, at $72.59 a barrel by 0037 GMT, after falling nearly 3% last week
OPEC+ ministers agreed on Sunday to boost oil supply from August to cool prices which have climbed to 2-1/2 year highs as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic
OPEC+ ministers are meeting on Sunday in another attempt to agree a quick oil supply boost to address soaring prices as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic
The increase in Covid cases globally have made the oil market uncertain as it has the potential to erode demand quickly
Sunday's meeting will be held virtually as have all such discussions since last year
Futures in New York fell 0.6 per cent toward $71 a barrel after closing at the lowest in a month on Thursday
U.S. crude for August rose 42 cents, or 0.6%, to $72.07 a barrel, on track for a 3.4% decline, its largest weekly drop since April.