Crude oil futures fell during midmorning Asia trading Dec. 8 as a continuing rise in COVID-19 infections led countries to impose a myriad of mobility restrictions, dampening sentiment in the market, and as progress over the US fiscal stimulus bill remained elusive. At 11:01 am Singapore time (0301 GMT), the ICE February Brent contract was down 39 cents/b (0.80%) from the Dec. 7 settle at $48.40/b while the NYMEX January light sweet crude contract was down 33 cents/b (0.72%) at $45.43/b. Both markers had also dropped 0.93% and 1.08%, respectively, on Dec. 7 after most of California retreated into lockdown and as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the oil ministry has been instructed to get ready for the production and sale of crude oil at full capacity within three months. Concerns over the […]