SINGAPORE - Oil prices climbed on Friday, following a drawdown in U.S. crude stocks, but were set to fall heavily for the week amid worries that a new coronavirus in China that has killed 25 so far may spread, curbing travel, fuel demand and economic prospects.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were up 27 cents, or 0.5% higher at $55.86 a barrel. The contract fell 2% on Thursday and is 4.6% lower for the week. Though they failed to match analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll of a 1 million barrel drop, crude inventories did decline by 405,000 barrels in the week to Jan. 17, government data showed.
China virus? Or COVID-9?
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