OPEC crude basket prices weekly average higher

The weekly average of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reference price for its basket of crudes stood at 108.95 U.S. dollars per barrel last week, up from 107.17 dollars the previous week, the Vienna-based cartel said Monday.

This is the second consecutive week that the OPEC's weekly crude price continues rising. The rising price trend seemed to be unchanged since early November, the lowest level in the past eight weeks.

OPEC maintained the organization's crude oil output target at 30 million barrels per day to ensure a relative comfortable price for the crude output organization, after the meeting in its headquarters here early December.