Oil prices firm on hopes of US policy support for economic growth

By Florence Tan

SINGAPORE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Oil prices inched higher on Monday, along with other risk assets, after U.S. data showed cooling inflation, reviving hopes of further policy easing next year that will support global economic growth and oil demand.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose 26 cents, or 0.4%, to $73.20 a barrel by 0141 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 climbed 31 cents, or 0.5%, to $69.77 per barrel.

"Risk assets, including U.S. equity futures and crude oil, have started the week on a firmer footing," IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore said, adding that cooler inflation data helped alleviate concerns following the Federal Reserve's hawkish rate cut.

"I think the U.S. Senate passing legislation to end the brief shutdown over the weekend has helped," he said.

Both oil benchmarks fell more than 2% last week on concerns about global economic growth and oil demand after the U.S. central bank signalled caution over further easing of monetary policy. Research from Asia's top refiner Sinopec pointing to China's oil consumption peaking in 2027 also weighed on prices.

Concerns about European supply eased on reports the Druzhba pipeline, which sends Russian and Kazakh oil to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany, has restarted after halting on Thursday due to technical problems at a Russian pumping station.

Shipments resumed on Saturday, according to Belarus' BelTa state news agency. On Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said supplies on Druzbha to the country had restarted.

Before the halt, the pipeline was shipping 300,000 barrels per day of crude.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday urged the European Union to increase U.S. oil and gas imports or face tariffs on the bloc's exports.

The European Commission said it was ready to discuss with Trump how to strengthen what it described as an already strong relationship, including in the energy sector.

Trump also threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.

In the U.S., the number of operating oil rigs were up one to 483 last week, the highest since September, Baker Hughes reported on Friday.

(Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))