Crude oil futures are rising amidst thin trading during the Christmas holiday.

Asian crude oil futures prices rose in the early hours of the 24th. Supported by a surge in demand from India, the world's third-largest importer, and key economic indicators from the United States, amidst thin trading ahead of the Christmas holiday.
As of 0114 GMT (10:14 AM Japan Time), North Sea Brent futures were up 0.33 dollars (0.45%) at $72.95 per barrel, while US WTI futures were up 0.29 dollars (0.42%) at $69.53.
Excluding aircraft, core capital goods orders (non-defense capital goods) announced by the US Department of Commerce on the 23rd increased by 0.7% from the previous month. In addition, the sales of new single-family homes in November (seasonally adjusted) increased by 5.9% from the previous month to 640,000 units on an annualized basis.

IG analyst Tony Shicamore mentioned that with the holiday season approaching, volatility has reduced for WTI, ending the past three days slightly below $69.50 and expecting narrow price movements around this level until the US market reopens on the 27th.

On the other hand, India's crude oil imports in November stood at 19.07 million tons, a 2.6% increase from the previous year, supported by strong demand due to the boost in economic and travel activities.