World oil prices on Wednesday afternoon moved to some decrease, according to trading data. Markets are waiting for weekly statistics on commercial oil reserves in the U.S.

Brent crude oil prices were down 0.67% to $78.82 per barrel, while WTI January futures decreased 0.67% to $73.75. Oil prices were weak in the morning.

Later Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy will report data on the country’s commercial oil inventories for the week through December 2. Analysts believe the figure fell by 3.3 million barrels. On Wednesday night, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said it estimates a 6.4 million-barrel decline in inventories.

Crude oil prices today continue to be affected by uncertainty regarding the prospects of oil supplies. From December 5, the oil sanctions of the West came into effect: the European Union stopped accepting Russian oil transported by sea; also the G7 countries. Australia and the EU imposed a price cap on such oil at $60 per barrel.

The Russian authorities are developing three possible responses. The first one is a complete ban on sales to the countries that supported the restriction, including through intermediary countries or even their chain; the second one is a ban on exports under contracts that include a price ceiling condition; and the third one introduces an indicative price – the maximum discount of Russian Urals oil to the benchmark Brent grade, and a ban on selling at a higher discount.

Earlier we reported on the Big Tanker Jam in the Bosphorus due to the price cap on Russian oil.