LONDON, July 11 Reuters Oil prices were stable on Thursday with the Brent benchmark holding above 85 a barrel, as investors balanced a bleaker demand growth view from the International Energy Agency IEA with a indications of growing U.S. consumption.

Brent futures were up by 21 cents, or 0.25 to 85.29 a barrel by 0938 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate WTI crude rose 13 cents, or 0.16, to 82.23.

In its latest monthly oil market report, the IEA saw global demand growth at its lowest in over a year at 710,000 barrels per day bpd in the second quarter, driven mainly by a contraction in China39;s consumption.

The IEA39;s global crude demand growth forecast for 2024 was kept largely unchanged at 970,000 bpd, while its 2025 forecast was cut by 50,000 bpd to 980,000 bpd.

OPEC in its monthly report on Wednesday kept its forecasts for world oil demand growth for this year and next unchanged at 2.25 million and 1.85 million bpd, respectively.

Both contracts rose on Wednesday, breaking a threeday losing streak, after a report from the Energy Information Administration EIA showed a drop in U.S. crude and gasoline stocks.

The bounce back is largely due to the continued drawdowns in U.S. inventories as reported by the EIA, Suvro Sarkar, energy sector team at DBS Bank, told Reuters.

U.S. crude inventories fell by 3.4 million barrels to 445.1 million barrels in the week ended July 5, far exceeding the 1.3 millionbarrel draw expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.

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