Crude for November delivery gained $2.58, or 3.2 percent, at $82.88. Prices hit $83 during trading but fell back a bit.

Attention was focused on Tropical Storm Karen and a tropical depression far in the Gulf as possible future troublemakers for the oil industry.

Natural gas fell 12.70 cents Thursday to close at $6.919 per million British thermal units.

Heating oil was up 6.98 cents at $2.2521 a gallon and reformulated gasoline blendstock gained 6.65 cents at $2.0939 a gallon.

Motorists meanwhile were paying on average $2.811 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, down from Wednesday’s $2813, the AAA said in its daily fuel gauge report.