Oil prices are falling after the rise in US inventories

Oil prices fell on Thursday amid concerns about oversupply, after rising nearly 3 percent in the previous session.

Brent crude futures fell 24 cents to $76.72 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude also fell 21 cents to $72.62 a barrel.

Both benchmarks rose nearly 3 percent on Wednesday amid optimism about oil demand and debt ceiling negotiations in the United States.

Oil prices are under pressure, including the unexpected jump in US oil inventories last week due to a new withdrawal from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Inventories rose five million barrels in the week ending May 12 to 467.6 million barrels, against expectations of a decline of 900,000 barrels in a Reuters poll.

Investors are also closely watching developments related to the debt ceiling negotiations in the United States.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed on Wednesday their intention to reach an agreement soon to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion and avoid the government’s failure to pay its obligations, as this would have catastrophic repercussions.