Crude Oil Rises to a One-Month High After U.S. Inventory Drop
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')rude oil rose to a one-month high after an Energy Department report showed that U.S. inventories fell more than expected.
Stockpiles declined 3.3 million barrels to 293.6 million, the lowest since January 2005, the report showed. Supplies were expected to drop 1.5 million barrels, according to the median of responses by 12 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey. Prices rose earlier because of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's former prime minister.
``These numbers were bullish across the board,'' said James Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch & Associates in Galena, Illinois. ``You have to add some geopolitical premium because of the news from Pakistan. It's clear we are off to the races and will probably test the record tomorrow.''