Tokyo-Sana
Oil prices rose today to surpass Brent global benchmark 40 dollars a barrel for the first time since last March.
According to Reuters, future contracts for Brent crude for August delivery rose 78 cents, or 2 percent, to $ 40.35 to continue its rise, after gaining 3.3 percent yesterday.
West Texas Intermediate, the US crude, increased $ 1.06, or 2.9 percent, to $ 37.87 a barrel.
The two benchmarks recorded a sharp rise in recent weeks from their low levels in April, thanks to the continued recovery in China, which started the outbreak of the virus, while other economies are slowly resuming their activities after isolation measures to contain the pandemic.