Oil prices steadied just below four-year highs on Friday as world fuel markets tightened ahead of a new round of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports due to be imposed in November.
Benchmark Brent crude oil LCOc1 was down 5 cents a barrel at $84.53 by 1230 GMT. On Thursday, Brent fell by $1.34 a barrel or 1.6 percent, but the contract remained on course for a gain of around 2 percent for the week.