Oil Prices Continue to Decline As Large COVID Testing Has Commenced in China

Oil prices fell slightly in early Asian trade on Thursday, driven down by fears over growing coronavirus cases in China, the world's largest oil importer.

Beijing's capital recorded 48 new symptomatic and two new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases for April 27, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The city had previously reported 31 symptomatic cases and three asymptomatic cases as part of a mass testing program aimed at controlling a new outbreak.

By 0006 GMT, Brent crude futures had fallen 37 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $104.95 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude futures in the United States lost 27 cents, or 0.3%, to $101.75 a barrel.

Beijing authorities are stepping up their efforts to contain COVID-19 infections and avert the city-wide shutdown that has engulfed Shanghai for a month.

Hangzhou, China's 12.2 million-person city and headquarters of e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), will begin broad COVID testing on April 28, official media said Wednesday.

Concerns about a global energy supply shortage following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions imposed on Moscow by the US and its allies underpin the market.

Gazprom (MCX:GAZP), the Russian energy behemoth, announced on Wednesday that it has interrupted gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland.

According to trading records, Shell (LON:RDSa) announced that it would no longer take refined oil blended with Russian products, while Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) declared force majeure on its Sakhalin-1 facilities in Russia's far east.