Oil prices rose in Asia Friday but gains were capped as dealers eyed the deadlocked Greek debt talks expected to come to a head over the weekend, analysts said.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August delivery gained 10 cents to $59.80 while Brent crude for August gained 38 cents to $63.58 in afternoon trade.
“The focus for Friday and into the weekend will be on Greece,” said Singapore´s United Overseas Bank.
Crude investors were weighing the “potential negative impact from Greece´s debt crisis on European energy demand”, the lender said in a market commentary.
Greece´s emergency negotiations with its creditors — the European Union and the International Monetary Fund — ended abruptly Thursday, pushing the crisis toward a critical weekend meeting in a bid to avoid a default by Athens and its potential exit from the Eurozone.