NNA - Oil prices climbed around 2% on Tuesday as the Middle East crisis and a Libyan supply outage pared the previous day's heavy losses.

Brent crude futures settled $1.47, or 1.9%, higher at $77.59 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) ended $1.47, or 2.1%, higher at $72.24.

Prices drew support from the closure of Libya's 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) Sharara oilfield, one of its largest, which has been a frequent target for local and broader political protests, and Middle East tensions.

The Israeli military has said its fight against Hamas will continue through 2024, stoking concerns the conflict could escalate into a regional crisis that disrupts oil supplies.

Meanwhile, some major shipping companies are still avoiding the Red Sea following attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi militants in response to Israel's war against Hamas. However, the impact on oil tanker movements has been less than expected, according to a Reuters analysis.

"The more attractive alternative for (oil tankers) right now is to make a dash for the United States, where crude oil is cheaper than Brent," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Brent and WTI posted 3% and 4% losses respectively on Monday after sharp cuts to Saudi Arabia's official selling prices (OSP), prompting both supply and demand concerns.

Oil futures also were also supported on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia emphasized its desire to support efforts to stabilize oil markets and following reports that Russia curbed its crude oil production level in December, said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn.--Reuters 

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