Brent futures for April delivery rose 82 cents, or 1%, to $80.76 a barrel by 12:45 p.m. ET , after trading between $79.10 and $81.25.
West Texas Intermediate crude gained 52 cents, or 0.7%, to $73.91 per barrel, after hitting a high of $74.41 and a low of $72.25. Prices were buoyed by prospects for China's recovery after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions remains aThe International Energy Agency expects half of this year's global oil demand growth to come from China, the agency's chief said on Sunday, adding that jet fuel demand was surging.
Holding back gains however, Friday's blowout U.S. employment number raised expectations that the Federal Reserve's rate hikes will not end with a hard economic landing, and that the U.S. central bank may have more than one more rate increase left, which could curb economic growth and lower fuel demand.