NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. oil prices closed over $82 Thursday as wary investors kept a watch on a couple of stormy conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.
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.