America News Agency

Brent crude futures were down 37 cents, or 0.48 percent, to $77.15 a barrel by 0156 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude, which did not have a Monday settlement because of the U.S. Labor Day holiday, was 28 cents up from its Friday close of $73.55.

China’s purchasing managers’ index hit a six-month low in August. On Monday, China posted the first decline in new export orders in eight months in July and said new home prices grew in August at their weakest pace this year.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said it held talks on Monday to resolve a dispute over central bank control that triggered a blockade of the country’s most valuable commodity, sending oil production to less than half of its usual level. Libya’s National Oil Corp said on Monday it had declared force majeure on its El Feel oil field from Sept. 2.

Total production had plunged to little more than 591,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of Aug. 28 from nearly 959,000 bpd on Aug. 26, NOC said. Production was at about 1.28 million barrels per day on July 20.

Eight members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and affiliates, known as OPEC+, are scheduled to boost output by 180,000 bpd in October, a plan industry sources said is likely to go ahead regardless of demand worries.

Exacerbating supply concern, two oil tankers were attacked on Monday in the Red Sea off Yemen but did not sustain major damage. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility.

Also, Russia’s Gazpromneft Moscow refinery suspended operations at one unit for repairs. A fire broke out on Sunday after a drone strike at the plant, which processed 11.6 million tons of crude oil last year.