Crude oil prices could end this week with a more moderate decline than expected at the start of the week, as optimism about Chinese demand reignited towards the end of the trading period, pushing prices higher earlier today. The increase, by more than 1 percent in pre-noon Asian trade today, followed the first trading session that ended with gains for the benchmarks this year, after two consecutive days of losses. The latest U.S. oil inventory report contributed to the price rise as the increase in inventories was more modest than analysts had…
