Investing.com - Crude oil prices were little changed at the end of a volatile session on Friday having failed to close above the $50 level, but expectations for continued declines in production underpinned prices.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil for delivery in November ended at $49.51, the highest closing price since July, but off the day’s highs of $50.92.
For the week, New York-traded oil futures rallied 8.9%, the largest weekly percentage gain in six weeks.
On the ICE Futures Exchange in London, the November Brent contract ended flat at $52.91 a barrel in late trade.
Brent posted a weekly percentage gain of 9.39%, also the strongest weekly performance in six weeks.
Oil-field-services provider Baker Hughes (N:BHI) said the number of working rigs fell by 9 to 605 for the week ending October 9, the lowest number since July 2010. It was the sixth consecutive weekly decline.
The rig count is seen as a guage of future production.
The report added to the view that the shale oil production boom in the U.S. is slowing as a result of a historic rout in oil prices, which slumped to six year lows in August.
Oil prices had moved higher earlier on Friday as the dollar weakened after the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting indicated that interest rates are likely to remain on hold for longer.
Minutes from the Fed’s September policy meeting, published on Thursday, showed that most policymakers thought an initial rate hike should still come this year and that financial market turmoil had not "materially altered" the outlook for the U.S. economy.
But the minutes also noted that recent global economic and financial developments may have increased the downside risks to the U.S. economy.
In the week ahead, investors will be looking to Wednesday’s U.S. data on retail sales and Thursday’s data on consumer prices for fresh indications on the strength of consumer spending.
Before that, OPEC is to release its monthly oil report on Monday, and on Tuesday the International Energy Agency is to publish its monthly report.
The U.S. Department of Energy is to publish official figures on oil storage levels on Wednesday.