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Oil prices rise as OPEC+ agrees on a slower rate of production increase from October

Early Monday morning, oil prices rose, reversing some of the losses of last week, after OPEC+ decided over the weekend that they would increase output at a slower rate than October, due to expectations of a weaker global market.

Brent crude rose 34 cents or 0.5% to $65.84 a bar by 0047 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude climbed 30 cents or 0.5% to $62.17 a bar.

The two benchmarks both fell by more than 2% Friday, as the weak U.S. employment report dimmed expectations for the energy demand. Last week, they lost more than 3 percent.

OPEC+ - which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia, and other allies - agreed on Sunday that oil production would be increased from October, as Saudi Arabia tries to regain its market share. However, the rate of increase will be slower than previous months.

OPEC+ increased production in April, after years of cutting to support the oil markets. But the decision to boost further output was a surprise because a possible oil glut is looming during the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.

Eight members of OPEC+ are expected to increase production by 137,000 barrels a day from October, a far cry from the monthly increases that were about 555,000 bpd between September and August as well as 411,000 bpd during July and June.

Toshitaka Takawa, an analyst with Fujitomi Securities, said, "The oil markets rebounded a little, boosted by relief at OPEC+ modest production hike and a bounce in technical terms following last week's drop."

He added that the downward pressure will likely continue as OPEC+ increases production and supplies decrease.

Ukrainian officials reported that on Sunday, Russia had launched its biggest air strike of the war against Ukraine. It set the main government building in central Kyiv on fire and killed at least four people including an infant.

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Sunday that he would invite individual European leaders to the United States to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Monday and on Tuesday.

After reporters asked him about the Russian air attack, Trump said he was "not pleased" with the current status of the war. He expressed his confidence in the end of the war.

The European Union will not change its plan to phase out Russian crude oil by 2028. This was the message from the EU's energy chief on Friday. He added that Washington had not pressed him to move this deadline forward. (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft, Jamie Freed and Yuka Obayashi)

(source: Reuters)