The European Commission hopes to introduce a "requirement for attestations to also include itemized ancillary costs, such as insurance and freight," on top of a declaration on the price paid for the Russian oil.

Brent were up 10 cents, or 0.1%, at $77.52 a barrel, WTI was nearly flat at $72.95.

Brent rose 6 cents to $86.91 a barrel, WTI gained 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $82.58 a barrel.

India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, ships over 80% of its oil needs from overseas and wants to cut its crude import bill.

However, there are growing signs of a thaw in relations between the Biden administration and Caracas, with the sides holding talks to explore temporarily lifting sanctions to encourage Venezuela to hold competitive presidential elections next year.

Brent rose $1.16, or 1.3%, to $89.09 a barrel. WTI climbed $1.08, also 1.3%, to $84.29 a barrel.

Still, the trade has become a headache for Germany, which has explicitly said it won’t use gas from Russia in the fallout of the war in Ukraine. Berlin is facing sharp criticism over concerns that a government-run company still has ties to Moscow, despite its political rhetoric.

Oil has become the gift that keeps on giving. Aggressive long liquidation leaves the markets exposed to a strong geopolitical bid as it has a direct effect on oil production and transportation in the Middle East.

Brent rose 50 cents, or 0.6%, to $86.50 per barrel, WTI gained 64 cents, or 0.8%, to $83.55 a barrel.

Brent were up 36 cents, or 0.4%, at $84.43. WTI were up 42 cents, or 0.5%, at $82.73.