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Diplomatic efforts to place Syria's chemical weapons under international control intensified on Wednesday while UN rights investigators detailed what they called war crimes carried out largely by Syrian government forces in the civil war.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are to meet later on Thursday in Geneva to talk about Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
"Traders are reluctant to change their positions as the outlook for Syria's problem remain uncertain," said Koichi Murakami, analyst at Daiichi Commodities Co Ltd. "Everyone is closely watching how Syria's situation will develop."
Brent crude for October was trading up 5 cents at $111.55 a barrel by 0348 GMT, after gaining 25 cents on Wednesday. Brent hit a six-month high of $117.34 a barrel on August 28, largely on the tensions over Syria.
US crude was 3 cents higher at $107.59.
"Another focus in the market are the US financial policies to be unveiled next week," Murakami said.
Expectations are growing that the Federal Reserve will decide next week to begin tapering its monetary stimulus, although last Friday's disappointing US jobs data has convinced many economists that any reduction might be smaller than some had believed.
Still, any cut in the Fed's bond-buying programme would likely boost the dollar and pressure oil and other commodities priced in the greenback.
On Thursday, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in Seoul that the global oil market is well balanced and that top exporter Saudi Arabia is ready to supply whatever volume of crude is needed to meet demand.
At the same industry event in Seoul, the United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said global oil demand could see downside risks while economic growth in emerging markets and Europe slows and the United States imports less oil.
