Oil futures finished higher on Thursday, finding some support after posting back-to-back session declines, as discord in Libya continued to limit supply from the OPEC producer.
West Texas International crude for October delivery rose $1.39, or 1.9%, to settle at $75.91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
October Brent crude , the global benchmark, added $1.29, or 1.6%, at $79.94 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. The more actively traded November Brent contract gained $1.24, or 1.6%, to $78.82 a barrel.
September gasoline added 1.5% to $2.25 a gallon, while September heating oil climbed 2.5% to $2.28 a gallon.
Natural gas for October delivery settled at $2.14 per million British thermal units, gaining 1.9% after trading as low as $2.026 during the session.
Market drivers
A dispute between Libya's eastern leaders and western authorities over the nation's central bank has resulted in an oil blockade that has significantly curtailed crude flows, with output down by close to 500,000 barrels a day, said commodity strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey of ING, in a note, adding that the figure doesn't include the shutdown of the Sharara oil field earlier this month.
Source: Marketwatch
