LONDON: Crude oil prices climbed on Thursday, extending gains on stronger demand for heating fuel in the United States as the country grapples with severe winter, dealers said.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in March advanced 35 cents to $97.73 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for March also rose 35 cents to stand at $106.60 a barrel in London morning deals.
"Freezing conditions continue across the States, supporting heating oil demand," said analyst Lucy Sidebotham at British-based energy consultancy Inenco.
Stockpiles at the trading hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, sank 1.5 million barrels, the Department of Energy (DoE) said on Wednesday, indicating strong demand and pushing prices higher.
"I think we are seeing that inventories are coming in better than expected due to the cold snap which ... helped to cut back on the supply glut in Cushing," Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore told AFP.
US commercial crude reserves rose 400,000 barrels in the week ending January 31, the DoE said Wednesday, much smaller than the average analyst estimate of 2.2 million.
But traders focused on the fourth straight week of declines in distillates, which include diesel and heating oil.
Distillates fell 2.4 million barrels, more than the 2.0 million barrels estimated.
Treacherous snow and freezing rain struck the northeastern United States on Wednesday, disrupting thousands of flights and causing traffic chaos for millions.
More than 600,000 people were without power as high winds and ice knocked down trees and electrical lines.
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