Crudeoil futures traded higher Monday morning as reports ahead of a key meeting of oil producers overshadowed the partial freeing of the worlds largest container vessel, which had blocked the Suez Canal for about a week, producing massive logjams in global trade and straining energy assets.

News that Russia would support a rollover to May of output curbs imposed by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, while seeking only a small hike for itself, was helping to offset some of the bearish factors for oil centered on the Suez Canal developments, traders said.

You have the OPEC meeting and headlines out there that Russia supports rolling over their production cuts from April to May, Tariq Zahir, managing member at Tyche Capital Advisors, told MarketWatch.

OPEC and its allies, including Russia, form a group known as OPEC, and are set to convene on April 1 to discuss the cartels policy on production curbs, which have been imposed to help stabilize oil prices amid the COVID pandemic.

Earlier this month, OPEC ministers approved a continuation of the production levels of March for the month of April, and Saudi Arabia said it would selfimpose curbs on its production to keep prices in check, surprising markets and helping to send crude values firmly higher.

OPEC are holding back about 8 million barrels a day of output, 1 million of which represents Saudi production.

At this coming meeting, Russia is expected to request a small…