OIL PRICE: NEAR $50

REUTERS - Oil prices were mixed in thin trading on Wednesday as the U.S. benchmark rebounded from steep losses in the previous session, even though concern over the health of the global economy continued to overshadow the market in the longer term.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1, were up 29 cents, or 0.68 percent, at $42.82 per barrel, at 0355 GMT, having at one point risen as high as 2 percent from the last close. They had slumped 6.7 percent in the previous session to $42.53 a barrel - the lowest since June 2017.

Meanwhile Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were down 11 cents or 0.22 percent at $50.36 a barrel, having skidded 6.2 percent in the previous session to $50.47 a barrel, the weakest since August 2017.

"$50 is a psychological support level (for Brent)," said Margaret Yang, market analyst for CMC Markets in Singapore.

"But market confidence needs to be restored for oil price...that include an equity market rebound and/or a bigger production cut from major oil exporters," Yang said, referring to an OPEC-led agreement to lower output from next month.

Broader financial markets have been under pressure on worries about a global economic slowdown amid higher U.S. interest rates and the U.S.-China trade dispute.

"U.S. equity futures are trading a bit firmer this morning triggering some little buying interest in the oil markets," said Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia-Pacific at futures brokerage Oanda in Singapore.

Countries (OPEC) "reassures markets the viability of their supply cuts and even impose deeper ones as some members have suggested". OPEC and allies led by Russia agreed this month to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day from January.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that oil prices would become more stable in the first half of 2019, supported by OPEC and non-OPEC countries' joint efforts to cut output.

Elsewhere, U.S. political turmoil triggered by the partial shutdown of the federal government is also adding to market concerns. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that shutdown could last until his demand for U.S.-Mexico border wall money is met.

-----

Earlier: 

2018, December, 24, 12:10:00 OIL PRICE: NEAR $54 YET REUTERS - International benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 futures rose 60 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $54.42 a barrel at 0408 GMT. Prices climbed to as high as $54.66. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 37 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $45.96 a barrel after earlier climbing to as high as $46.24.

2018, December, 24, 12:00:00 U.S. PRIMARY ENERGY PRODUCTION 8.0 QUADRILLION BTU U.S. EIA - U.S. primary energy production totaled 8.0 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), a 10% increase compared with September 2017.

2018, December, 24, 11:55:00 U.S. OIL CAPEX DOWN PLATTS - Three aggressive independent Permian Basin upstream operators released capital budgets for 2019 in the last few days that are lower than either prior expectations or actual 2018 spending by at least 12% to 15%, as corporate executives attributed reduced activity to the recent plunge in oil prices.

2018, December, 21, 14:45:00 OIL PRICE: NEAR $54 REUTERS - Brent crude LCOc1 fell 77 cents to a low of $53.58 a barrel, its weakest since September 2017, before rallying to trade around $53.75, down 10.8 percent on the week, by 1055 GMT. U.S. light crude oil CLc1 was down 20 cents at $45.68, also on course for a decline of 10.8 percent for the week.

2018, December, 21, 14:40:00 ЦЕНА URALS: $ 60.47023 МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена на нефть Urals за период мониторинга с 15 ноября по 14 декабря 2018 года составила $ 60,47023 за баррель, или $ 441,4 за тонну. Согласно расчетам Минфина России, экспортная пошлина на нефть в РФ с 1 января 2018 года понизится на $ 46,1 и составит $ 89 за тонну.

2018, December, 21, 14:35:00 SAUDIS NEED $84 PLATTS - Saudi Arabia will require oil prices higher than $84/b to avoid running another deficit, analysts warned after the kingdom announced on Tuesday record government spending in its state budget for 2019.

2018, December, 17, 10:50:00 OIL PRICE: NEAR $60 PLATTS - At 10:30 am Singapore time (0250 GMT), February ICE Brent crude futures inched down 4 cents/b (0.07%) from Friday's settle to $60.24/b, while the NYMEX January light sweet crude contract rose 5 cents/b (0.1%) to $51.25/b