Manama: Brent crude futures was up 7 cents at USD 74.81 a barrel at 0430 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was stable at USD 70.75 a barrel.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by two to 588 in the week to February 14. This slight increase in the rig count suggests a potential rise in future oil production, though current prices remain largely unchanged.