New York - Oil rose from a four-month low on Thursday, while natural gas soared to the highest level in 21 months on signs of robust demand for the fuel.
West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark oil for May delivery, rose $1.05, or 1.2 percent, to finish at $87.73 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil dropped $2.04, or 2.3 percent, on Wednesday - the fourth daily drop of at least two percent in April.
Concerns over global economic growth have caused the price of oil and other commodities to drop sharply. This week China reported slower-than-expected economic growth while the International Monetary Fund lowered its outlook for world economic growth for this year.
Natural gas futures rose 19 cents, or 4.4 percent, to end at $4.40 per 1 000 cubic feet. The last time natural gas hit that level was July 2011.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reported that natural gas in storage grew by 31 billion cubic feet to 1.704 trillion cubic feet for the week ended April 12.
Supplies typically rise in the spring, but last week's increase was less than analysts expected. Homeowners in some parts of the US still needed to turn the heat on as temperatures dropped below normal.
In London, Brent crude, which is used to price oil used by many US refiners, was up $1.44, or 1.5 percent, to finish at $99.13 on the ICE Futures exchange. - Sapa-AP