Oil prices continued to decline on Friday, finishing in the red for the second week in a row, amid some weakening optimism of traders about demand prospects in China and continuing growth of inventories in the U.S. Will oil prices go down even more?

Oil has been trading in a range of around $10/bbl since early this year. On the one hand, the market is waiting for an increase in demand in China after the lifting of quarantine restrictions in the country. on the other hand — it fears a decline in activity in developed countries due to the continuing increase in interest rates by leading global central banks, said Bloomberg.

Also, starting next week the EU embargo on Russian oil products, accompanied by the initiative of the price ceiling, and traders will wait for the consequences of this decision.

“Will crude oil prices go down? The oil market is in limbo, waiting for tangible signs of increased demand in China,” notes Vanda Insights founder Vandana Hari. — The factor of the Russian oil products supply ban in the EU is not the main one, but it still creates some uncertainty.”

The value of April futures for Brent oil at London’s ICE Futures Exchange on Friday is $81.97 per barrel, which is $0.20 (0.24%) lower than at the close of the previous session. At the close of trading on Thursday, those contracts had fallen by $0.67 (0.8%) to $82.17 per barrel.

The price of WTI futures for March crude oil at electronic trades on the NYMEX fell by $0.19 (0.25%) to $75.69 per barrel by that time. By the close of previous trading these contracts went down by $0.53 (0.7%) to $75.88 per barrel.

Earlier we were informed that world demand for gold grew last year by 18% and reached an 11-year maximum.