Crude oil prices climb on demand data

The Energy Information Administration said gasoline, distillate fuel and jet fuel rose in the week ending July 19.

Using the four-week rolling average, demand for gasoline was up 2 percent, while demand for distillate fuel, which includes heating oil, was up 9 percent.

EIA said jet fuel demand, which has been tracking lower than last year, was up 10.9 percent for the four-week period.

Overnight, crude oil prices for September delivery, the new front-end contract, added $1.61 to $78.17 per barrel. The price of front contract New York Harbor No. 2 heating oil gained 0.0494 cents to $2.0386 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline prices rose 0.0553 cents from a prior settlement to $2.1231 per gallon.

Henry Hub natural gas prices added 0.149 cents to $4.662 per gallon.

At the retail level, the national average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was unchanged Thursday at $2.718 per gallon, AAA said.

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