Oil prices varied during trading on Wednesday, amid anticipation of the release of US inventory data later today, and a close follow-up to the latest developments in the new variable, Omicron.

US NYMEX crude for February delivery rose marginally by 0.2% during trading, to reach $71.27 a barrel, while Brent crude for February delivery settled at $73.95 a barrel.

This performance came after the release of data from the American Petroleum Institute yesterday, which revealed that oil stocks in the United States decreased by 3.67 million barrels for the week ending on December 17, while it is awaiting Markets The US Energy Information Administration released official inventory data today.

A high-ranking official in China said, in statements carried by Xinhua, that his country, which is the largest importer of oil in the world, will seek to stabilize the economy during the first quarter of this year. 2022 and maybe the first half or even the whole of next year.

Separately, US President Joe Biden confirmed that people who have received the total doses of vaccination against the Corona virus (Covid-19) can safely celebrate the holidays, Especially those who received the booster dose.

These statements come amid a state of anticipation and fear over the rapid spread of the new mutant (Omicron) and the impact of this spread on government decisions in several countries around the world regarding the possibility of closing more cases. activities and its implications for global economic growth.