LONDON—Oil prices were stable on Friday, as the market weighed conflicting messages on supply from Russia and Saudi Arabia ahead of the next OPEC+ policy meeting, a stronger U.S. dollar and worries of weaker-than-expected demand growth.
Brent crude was up 40 cents at $76.66 a barrel at 0959 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 54 cents to $72.37 a barrel.
Benchmarks settled more than $2 per barrel lower on Thursday, after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak played down the prospect of further OPEC+ production cuts at its meeting in Vienna on June 4.
Both prices were still poised to post a second week of gains of slightly less than 1 percent. A deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, which appears in sight, would likely boost oil prices….