Oil prices mixed in Asian trade

SINGAPORE: Oil prices were mixed in muted Asian trade Monday ahead of a public holiday in the United States and as dealers digest downcast Chinese manufacturing data, analysts said. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery eased 14 cents to $95.82 while Brent crude for October rose five cents to $103.24 in afternoon trade.

Floor trading in the United States is closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday, and electronic transactions will be used to determine the settlement price. "We are seeing thin trading volumes in Asian trading today ahead of the US Labor Day holiday," Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, told AFP. "Oil prices are expected to trade within a lower range as dealers consolidate their positions with no new leads expected today," he said.

Investors are also scrutinising data released Monday showing Chinese manufacturing growth slowed in August, raising concerns about demand in the world´s top energy consumer, Chua said. The National Bureau of Statistics said the official purchasing managers index came in at 51.1, down from 51.7 in July, and the first decline since slipping to 50.2 in February. The index tracks manufacturing activity in China´s factories and workshops and is a closely watched indicator of the health of the economy. A reading above 50 indicates growth, while anything below points to contraction.

Elsewhere, the Ukrainian crisis is continuing to provide support to oil prices, with little sign of an imminent solution. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday raised the stakes in the standoff by calling for the first time for statehood to be discussed for the eastern regions of Ukraine now controlled by pro-Kremlin rebels.