Oil markets struggled to find their footing on Wednesday after plunging by 7 percent the previous session, with surging supply and the spectre of faltering demand keeping investors on edge.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $55.54 per barrel at 0159 GMT, down 15 cents from their last settlement.
International benchmark Brent crude oil futures were up 4 cents at $65.51 per barrel.
Markets fell by more than 7 percent the previous day. Crude oil has lost over a quarter of its value since early October in what has become one of the biggest declines since prices collapsed in 2014.
The slump in spot prices has turned the entire forward curve for crude oil upside down.
Spot prices in September were significantly higher than those for later delivery, a structure known as backwardation that implies a tight market as it is unattractive to put oil into storage.
By mid-November, the curve had flipped into contango, when crude prices for immediate delivery are cheaper than those for later dispatch. That implies an oversupplied market as it makes it attractive to store oil for later sale.
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