BEIJING, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Oil prices gained on Monday in early ‌Asian trading hours ​after the U.S. ‍intercepted a Venezuelan ⁠oil ⁠tanker over the weekend.

The ‌U.S. ​is also pursuing another tanker, ⁠officials told ‍Reuters ​on Sunday, in what would be ‍the third such operation in less than two weeks if ​it ‍succeeds.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ​was up 34 cents, or 0.6%, at $56.86 per barrel as of GMT ​2323.

(Sam Li and Lewis Jackson in Beijing; Editing ‍by Edmund Klamann)