Oil market pundits keep related expectations for the week, as they closely scrutinize weaker data from China and lingering concerns about demand.

European benchmark Brent crude futures for November added three cents to $71.64 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures for October gained 16 cents, 0.2 percent, to $68.81 a barrel. Both contracts had declined in the previous session, as concerns about supply disruptions eased following the resumption of crude production in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine and a reported weekly increase in the number of oil rigs in the United States.

In China, the largest oil importer, industrial production growth slowed to a five-month low in August, while retail sales and new home prices weakened further.

Oil refinery output also fell for the fifth consecutive month, as disappointing fuel demand and weak export margins held back production.

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