Crude oil prices were higher Monday morning, even after a surprise move by Saudi Arabia to lower the cost of its oil.

Blaming weak global demand, the Saudis cut the selling price for Medium grade crude to Asia next month to a discount of $3.20 a barrel below the regional benchmark.

The world’s largest producer is determined to keep prices low in order to cripple non-OPEC competition.

The move appears to be working, as reports suggest U.S. rig counts are down.

Crude oil for November was up 33 cents at $45.89 a barrel, having bounced back and forth around $45 for the past few weeks.

The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com