Mubasher: U.S. crude held support at above $40 a barrel, while Brent futures gained about 1%.
A firmer dollar weighed on oil earlier as commodities denominated in the greenback became less affordable to holders of other currencies such as the euro.
U.S. crude futures also struggled to stay above $40 as worries about large domestic oil stockpiles pressured the market's spot contract ahead of its expiry.
Brent futures were up 40 cents, or 0.88%, at $44.57 a barrel.
U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures for December delivery — which expired Friday —settled down 15 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $40.39 a barrel.
