09:18 AM EST, 02/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Oil prices were mixed early on Tuesday as a Ukrainian drone attack on an export pipeline in Russia damaged a pumping station and cut shipments on the 1.3-millon barrel per day line, while a report said OPEC+ is again considering a delay for the return of voluntary production cuts to market.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil for March delivery was last seen up US$0.40 to US$71.14 per barrel, while April Brent crude was down US$0.12 to US$75.10.

Reuters reported the Caspian Pipeline Consortium said the drone attack on the line, which carries oil from Kazakhstan and Russia, cut throughput by 30%, or about 380,000 barrels per day, with repairs expected to take up to two months.

The supply cut comes amid a Monday report from Bloomberg News that OPEC+ is again considering delaying the return of 2.2-million barrels per day of production cuts to the market. The cartel officially plans to begin monthly additions of 122,000 barrels per day for 18 months beginning in April.

The Bloomberg report, which cites unnamed OPEC+ delegates, said a final decision on proceeding with the return of the additional supply, already delayed three times, will be made in the coming weeks. However Russian oil minister Alexander Novak said no change to the current schedule for the return of the barrels is being considered.

"Crude prices rose on speculation OPEC+ may decide once again to delay a planned April production increase, in response to global demand concerns and recent soft price action. Meanwhile, a Kazakhstan oil export pipeline was operating at a reduced rate after an attack by drones," Saxo Bank noted.

Traders are also watching the start of talks between the United States and Russia aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine. Ukraine and other European countries are being excluded from the negotiations

"This process, at least from an American point of view will not be allowed to get bogged down. This message is delivered bluntly by the US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellog, has basically said that there is no room at the table for Europe, one wonders if there will even be one for Ukraine," PVM Oil Associates noted.