Oil held gains after a six-day advance as a bigger-than-expected decline in U.S. crude inventories added to evidence that energy demand is proving resilient in the face of the omicron virus wave. West Texas Intermediate traded near $77 a barrel after a 12% jump over six sessions, the best run of gains in 10 months. Global benchmark Brent, which topped $80 Wednesday to hit the highest since late November, steadied. U.S. crude stockpiles shrunk for a fifth consecutive week even as nationwide production increased, according to the Energy Information Administration. The 3.6-million-barrel decline compared with the median analyst estimate for a drop of 2.7 million barrels. In the U.S., omicron has so far not dented mobility, while transport data from across Asia show rising activity in December. Omicron […]