Turkey has made continuous efforts to protect its sovereign rights and the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean region, where it has been drilling in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which was registered with the United Nations in 2004.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 11 cents, or nearly 2%, at 0823 GMT to set a fresh seven-month low. Prices have lost more than 20% since hitting their 2019 peak in April. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were flat at $53.63.

Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $64 per barrel (b) in July, almost unchanged from the average in June 2019 but $10/b lower than the price in July of last year. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $64/b in the second half of 2019 and $65/b in 2020. The forecast of stable crude oil prices is the result of EIA’s expectations of a relatively balanced global oil market. EIA forecasts global oil inventories will increase by 0.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2019 and 0.3 million b/d in 2020.

OPEC saw output slide to 29.88 million b/d last month, a fall of 210,000 b/d from June, despite output gains by six of its members

Iraq's crude oil production in July rose to 4.62 million b/d, the country's State Oil Marketing Organization said late Sunday, its highest monthly output figure since January 2017, according to official data.

International benchmark Brent futures LCOc1 were up 28 cents at $60.09 a barrel by 0910 GMT, having dipped earlier in the session to their lowest since Jan. 14 at $59.07. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures rose 38 cents to $55.07 per barrel.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 71 cents, or 1.15%, to $61.18 per barrel by 0840 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were also down 71 cents, or 1.28%, to $54.95 a barrel.

Saudi Arabia is sending an ever-larger portion of its crude to China - with the US losing out.

U.S. Rig Count is down 4 rigs from last week to 942, with oil rigs down 6 to 770, gas rigs up 2 to 171, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canada Rig Count is up 10 rigs from last week to 137, with oil rigs up 6 to 91 and gas rigs up 4 to 46.

Brent futures rose $1.21, or 2%, to $61.71 a barrel by 0657 GMT, while WTI futures gained 87 cents, or 1.6%, to $54.82 a barrel.