Crude oil prices climb Thursday morning

New York -- Crude oil prices defined the current bubble this week, falling to nearly $101 a barrel Monday, then rising as investors continue to bet on commodities.

Crude oil supplies remained high in the United States, a government agency said Wednesday, pointing to speculator positioning as the primary cause for oil's rising prices.

Crude oil prices gained through the week, reaching $106.89 Thursday morning, up 90 cents in early trading.

Heating oil prices rose 0.292 cents to $3.073 per gallon.

The price of reformulated blendstock gasoline fell 0.0179 cents to $2.725 per gallon.

Natural gas prices fell 0.067 cents Thursday morning to $9.505 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the national average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline reached $3.267 Thursday from Wednesday's price of $3.261, the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.