Oil started the week off with mixed readings after last week’s nearly 5% rise as investor sentiment in black gold continued to be buoyed by hopes of extension to the OPEC-led deal to curb production. U.S. crude showed cautious trade around the unchanged mark Monday with the benchmark unable to hold the $54 mark, though the London barrel managed to extend gains. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude December contract slipped 2 cents, or 0.04%, to $53.88 a barrel by 5:12AM ET (9:12GMT). Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose as much as 1.3 percent after climbing the most in eight months on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has intensified preparations for a response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, a move that could place the U.S. in direct conflict with Russian forces. While the Middle East country’s own oil production is limited, prices often respond to the risk of war in a region that holds almost half of the world’s crude reserves. “The focus is on the West’s probable military strike against the Syrian regime,” said Carsten Fritsch and Eugen Weinberg, analysts at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Click Read More below for additional information.

Another one of the 12 railroad unions narrowly approved its deal with the major freight railroads Saturday, offering some hope that the contract dispute might be resolved without a strike even though two other unions rejected their agreements last month. Now that 52% of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers members who voted approved their deal, seven railroad unions have ratified contracts that include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses, but all 12 have to approve contracts to prevent a strike.