Oil prices rose for a fourth day on Wednesday after industry data showed a surprise decline in U.S. crude inventories and tension over the disappearance of a prominent Saudi journalist stoked supply worries.

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Brent crude was up 15 cents at $81.56 a barrel by 0735 GMT, after gaining $1.15 in the previous three sessions. The global benchmark, which hit a two-week low late last week as equity markets dropped, is trading around $5 below a four-year high of $86.74 reached on Oct. 3.

U.S. light crude oil was up 10 cents at $72.02.

“Numbers from the American Petroleum Institute surprised the market yesterday, with U.S. crude oil inventories declining by 2.13 million barrels over the last week, compared to expectations of a stock build,” said ING commodities strategist Warren Patterson.

A Reuters survey ahead of the API data had estimated crude stocks rose about 2.2 million barrels.

U.S. gasoline stocks dropped by a larger-than-expected 3.4 million barrels, while distillate fuel stockpiles declined by a smaller-than-expected 246,000 barrels, the API data showed.

Inventory data from the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration is due at 1430 GMT on Wednesday.

Also underpinning sentiment is the scandal over the disappearance of prominent Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared two weeks ago after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

U.S. President Donald Trump gave Saudi Arabia the benefit of the doubt in the case even as U.S. lawmakers pointed the finger at the Saudi leadership and Western pressure mounted on Riyadh to provide answers.

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