Brent crude dipped towards $66 a barrel on Monday as weak Chinese data adds to demand fears, while near-record supplies from OPEC producers maintained worries about oversupply.
Brent crude oil fell below $54 a barrel on Friday and was on track for its third straight weekly loss, hurt by worries of rising supplies from Opec and the United States.
The North Sea, which brought upheaval to global oil markets in the 1980s just as shale has in this decade, is desperately seeking tax relief in Wednesday’s British budget.