Crude oil prices rise Monday

NEW YORK, June 29 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices percolated above $71 per barrel Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, although a stock rally has sputtered in recent weeks.

Crude oil prices gained $2.21, reaching $71.58 per barrel. Heating oil prices gained 0.0455 cents to $1.7845 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline rose 0.0705 cents to $1.9495 per gallon. Natural gas prices lost 0.055 cents to $3.935 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.639 Monday, down from Sunday's $2.643 a gallon, AAA said.