MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Russia’s government considers the oil price range of $45-55 per barrel optimum in the current market situation, which allows preventing the market from overheating, on the one hand, and supporting producers, on the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"The range of prices of $45-55 per barrel is optimum for recovery of our production, which we have let strongly down, otherwise we will never restore production, others will do, whereas we will remain at our level all the time," he said.

Head of the commodity strategy department at Saxo Bank Ole Hansen said earlier that the price of Brent crude oil might decrease amid reports about a new strain of the coronavirus that may push the infecting rates up and lead to new lockdowns. That may halt the growth of futures and even get them back, to $46 per barrel in the short-term.

On December 14, Britain’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said British scientists had identified a new coronavirus strain that might be to blame for high infection rates in southeastern England. On December 19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that, according to the current findings, the new strain might be 70% more contagious, however, there is no proof yet of a greater risk of lethal outcome. The World Health Organization has said that the mutated strain has already reached Australia, Denmark, and the Netherlands.