NEW YORK (AP) Prices for crude oil and natural gas moved in opposite directions after the U.S. government issued weekly supply reports for both fuels.
Benchmark oil for October delivery gained $1.14, or 1.1 percent, to close at $108.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But natural gas futures fell 10.8 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $3.575 per 1,000 cubic feet (28.32 cubic meters).
As the market waited to see if Congress will approve a U.S. military strike against Syria, the main focus was on market fundamentals and the release of U.S. economic data.
Oil was showing a slight gain in the morning but rose further after the government said that supplies of oil and gasoline each fell by 1.8 million barrels in the week ended Aug. 30. The drop in gasoline supplies was greater than expected, and refinery usage increased, both signs perhaps of solid demand for fuel at the end of the summer driving season.
On the economic front, the Labor Department released data Thursday showing applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to 323,000 last week, near their lowest level in 5 years and in line with trends indicating fewer layoffs and steady net job gains.