Oil prices rise: Brent is above $76 per barrel

Oil prices rose on Thursday, extending gains into a fourth session on positive comments from vaccine makers about their efficacy against the Omicron variant, even as some governments stepped up curbs to stop its rapid spread, Investing.com reports.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 48 cents, or 0.7%, to $72.84 a barrel, adding to a 0.4% gain in the previous session.

Brent crude futures rose 39 cents, or 0.5%, to $76.22 a barrel, adding to a similar gain on Wednesday.

Markets were buoyed by comments from BioNTech and Pfizer that a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine may protect against infection from the Omicron variant.