Oil steady as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia keep supply risks in focus

Oil prices were little changed in early Asian trade on Friday, with Brent crude futures dipping 0.2% to $112.96 a barrel, after rising 4% to a five-month high the previous session on supply disruption concerns from Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco ordered the evacuation of its Dhahran headquarters as fighting intensified between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition near the Bab el-Mandeb shipping chokepoint. In Libya, a pipeline valve closure reduced production at the Hamada and Tahara oilfields, while Russia signaled readiness to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine. Russia was the world's third-biggest crude producer in 2025, and sanctions aimed at keeping its energy off global markets since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine have pushed up prices. WTI was on track to end two weeks of gains, while Brent was set to close higher for a third successive week.