Investing.com - U.S. oil prices edged slightly higher in light pre-New Year holiday trade on Friday in an attempt to recover losses caused in the prior session from a surprise build in U.S. crude stockpiles while hopes for 2017's kickoff of the agreement to cut output and a weaker dollar helped support the commodity.
Crude oil for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange gained 22 cents, or around 0.4%, to $53.99 a barrel by 4:14AM ET (8:14GMT), after falling 29 cents, or 0.5%, a day earlier.
Elsewhere, Brent oil for March delivery on the ICE Futures Exchange in London rose 29 cents, or 0.5%, to $57.14 a barrel, after the prior session's loss of 8 cents, or 0.14%.
London-traded Brent futures touched a 17-month high of $57.89 earlier this month, amid optimism over planned output cuts by major global oil producers.
Continued profit-taking in the U.S. dollar on Friday also helped support prices. The dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.18% at 102.48 by 3:44AM ET (9:44GMT), pulling back from a peak of 103.62 reached on December 20.
A weaker dollar boosts crude as it becomes cheaper for traders purchasing with other currencies.
Oil prices are on track for their biggest annual percentage gain since 2009 on the back of an agreement struck between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries to cut crude production.
OPEC and other producers led by Russia have announced cutbacks of almost 1.8 million barrels per day in oil output starting from January 1, 2017 in an effort to bolster prices and support the market.
Meanwhile, the members of an OPEC and non-OPEC committee formed to monitor the market may meet on January 21-22, according to Kuwaiti oil minister Essam Al-Marzouq, which may give an early indication of compliance with the deal.
Oil prices will gradually rise towards $60 per barrel by the end of 2017, a Reuters’ poll showed on Thursday, with further upside capped by a strong dollar, a likely recovery in U.S. oil output and possible non-compliance by OPEC with agreed cuts.
Investors were also looking ahead to Baker Hughes' rig count data.
The oilfield services provider said last Friday that the number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. the previous week increased by 13 to 523, the eighth straight weekly rise and a level not seen in almost a year.
Some analysts have warned that the recent rally in prices could be self-defeating, as it encourages U.S. shale producers to drill more, adding to concerns over a global supply glut.
Elsewhere on Nymex, gasoline futures for February added 0.23% to $1.6793 a gallon, while February heating oil tacked on 0.37%, to $1.7263 a gallon.
Natural gas futures for February delivery slumped 2.0 cents, or 0.53%, to $3.822 per million British thermal units.