Oil prices resume fall

London - Oil prices fell on Monday as an increase in US drilling activity and a strong dollar reversed gains won thanks to a better-than-forecast US jobs report.

The commodity eked out modest gains Friday after data showed the world's top economy created 287 000 jobs in June following a dismal rise in May.

However, the gains - which were small compared to a near 5% drop the day before - were wiped out on Monday as the number of active US drilling rigs, a barometer of future output, rose to a 12-week high of 351 last week, traders said.

Around 14:00, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in August was down 30 cents at $45.11 a barrel compared with Friday's close.

Brent North Sea crude for September delivery lost also 30c to stand at $46.46 a barrel.

A strong dollar, which got a boost from the US employment numbers, added downward pressure on crude. A strong greenback makes dollar-priced commodities like oil more expensive for those using other currencies.