World oil prices mixed on Thursday ( Friday morning GMT) , with Brent crude in London fell as hopes the return of Libyan crude oil to the U.S. market while slightly higher .
The main contract , light sweet crude or West Texas Intermediate ( WTI ) for delivery in January , added six cents to close at 97.50 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange , AFP reported .
Meanwhile, Brent North Sea crude for January delivery fell 1.03 dollars to end at U.S. $ 108.67 per barrel in London trade .
There was little news to trigger any movement in the market fundamentals of New York , after falling on Wednesday ( 11/12 ) due to a sharp decline in U.S. commercial crude oil inventories .
" U.S. stockpiles fell the most since December 2012 . However , it had little effect on the price because the decline could have been caused by the year-end boost to vacate the facility and avoid the imposition of tax on inventory , " said Lucy Sidebotham , an analyst at energy consultancy Inenco .
" It does not necessarily indicate strong demand . "
Brent though towards lower expectations ahead of the resumption of Libyan oil terminal , after months blockaded by armed protesters . Libyan crude - distillation is considered good by European refiners .
On Tuesday ( 11/12 ) the head of the powerful tribe of Al - Magharba amid protests said that exports could be resumed on December 15 .
Protest groups , as well as the blockade of fuel delivery by the Berber minority , have made a foray of Libyan oil production to around 250,000 barrels per day from the normal level of nearly 1.5 million barrels .
" The Libyan government hopes to reopen the three oil ports on the weekend , " Sidebotham said , adding that many people in the marketplace " skeptical . "
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