Crude oil traded gloomy on Monday amid market concerns over global fuel demand that would be affected by the continued increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
At the start of the Asian session, Brent crude futures fell 15 sen to $ 55.26 a barrel, while the US WTI declined 8 sen to $ 52.19 a barrel.
China reported a new increase in daily cases on Monday, putting pressure on demand for demand from the world's largest energy consumer which is also a major strength for global oil consumption.
Meanwhile, slower than expected vaccine launches in the United States and Europe have also obscured market prospects for crude oil demand.
New administration Joe Biden faces pressure after Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Sunday that the federal government does not know how many coronavirus vaccines are available in the country.
Oil prices were under pressure at the end of last weekend after data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed U.S. crude oil inventories rose sharply by 4.4 million barrels.
