2019.02.1206:25:00UTC+00Oil Prices Climb Over 1 Percent On Tightening Supply

Oil prices rose over 1 percent on Tuesday, with sentiment supported by OPEC-led production cuts and the U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela.

Global benchmark Brent crude jumped 1.56 percent to $62.47 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were up 1.45 percent at $53.17 a barrel.

Oil markets are tightening in view of voluntary production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top exporter and de facto leader of OPEC, said today that it would reduce oil production to nearly 9.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, about half a million bpd more than it originally pledged.

Prices also remain supported by the U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and Iran and the continuing closure of parts of the Keystone pipeline that brings Canadian oil into the United States.

Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of an energy forum in Cairo, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said the exporting group was not in the business of fixing oil prices and it would be a misjudgment to accuse the cartel of such.