The assessment of the prospects for the 2021 oil market has become less optimistic. 

Analysts' December forecasts of $60 per barrel changed downward to an average of $55 per barrel. Some experts believe that oil prices will fall to $30 in the first quarter of 2021, Izvestia reported.

In Europe, the US, and other countries, the restrictions are being introduced. The general situation was worsened by information about the new strain of the COVID-19 in the UK. Oil prices began to fall again.

In the next six to seven months, there will be many factors affecting the short-term position of oil prices, although the pandemic will set the tone. Most likely, world quotations will be in the range of $ 45-50 per barrel.

World oil prices at the beginning of the last week of the outgoing year slightly dropped. The cost of North Sea Brent on Monday morning first lost about 0.27%, falling to $51.2 per barrel, Texas WTI - 0.19%, to $48.14 per barrel. By lunchtime, investors again believed in black gold, and the oil price went from falling to growing by more than 1% on average.