Oil prices fell in early trade on Friday, retreating further from 11-month highs hit last week, on worries new pandemic restrictions in China will curb fuel demand in the world's biggest oil importer. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped 47 cents, or 0.9%, to $52.66 a barrel, after slipping 18 cents on Thursday. Brent crude futures fell 45 cents, or 0.8%, to $55.65 a barrel, erasing a 2 cent gain on Thursday. Recovering fuel demand in China underpinned market gains late last year while the United States and Europe lagged, but that source of support is fading as a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases has sparked new restrictions to contain the spread. The commercial hub of Shanghai reported its first locally transmitted cases in two months on Thursday. Local governments in areas yet to be hit by big outbreaks are adopting new curbs, and Beijing is urging people not to travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, when tens of millions of urban workers typically head back to their villages. Sudden new restrictions worldwide have badly hit the airline industry, with the number of flights globally down 25% last week. The market is awaiting official oil inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Friday, after industry data on Wednesday showed a surprise 2.6 million barrel increase in U.S. crude inventories last week compared with analysts' forecasts for a 1.2 million barrel draw.