Oil prices edged higher in subdued Asian trade today. This fllows investors anticipating upbeat US stockpiles data and as investors grow more optimistic about the U.S. economy. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate or WTI for February delivery, was up 22 cents at 98.64 dollars in mid-morning trade while Brent North Sea crude for February rose 17 cents to 110.97 dollars. Investors are also monitoring the situation in crude producer Iran after the IRNA news agency on Wednesday said experts from Tehran and world powers have chosen January 20 tobegin implementing a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran and the so-called P5+1 nations – the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany – have beenholding technical talks on implementing a deal reached in November on Iran's controversial nuclear ambitions.Tehran's crude exports have been halved to 1.2 million barrels per day following crippling international sanctions imposed on it for allegedly covertly pursuing a nuclearweapons capability alongside its civilian programme.