Ahmad 
Oil prices rose due to lower exports from Russia and increased fears of supply disruptions in the Red Sea.
Prices jumped about 1% in early Asian trade on Monday (December 18th), supported by lower exports due to bad weather in Russia, as fears of supply disruptions due to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea increased.
Brent crude futures rose 69 cents, or 0.9%, to $77.24 a barrel by 00:37 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 65 cents, or 0.9%, to $72.08 a barrel.
Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG Markets, said: “Bad weather in Russia contributed to the stronger opening (price hikes) as well as the Houthi attack on ships near Yemen.”