Crude prices rise on OPEC decision

NEW YORK, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices rose on the New York Mercantile Exchange, topping $72 per barrel after OPEC oil ministers elected to keep production quotas unchanged.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a statement that world markets "remain over-supplied." But changing quotas risked jeopardizing an economic recovery, OPEC said.

"Given the downside risks associated with the extremely fragile recovery, the conference once again agreed to leave current production levels unchanged," the statement said.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude rose 34 cents to $72.11 per barrel. Heating oil prices dropped 0.0432 cents to $1.7918 per gallon. Reformulated gasoline prices fell 0.02 cents to $1.809 per gallon. Natural gas prices added 0.423 cents to $3.275 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the national average price of unleaded gasoline was $2.576 per gallon Thursday, up from Wednesday's $2.573, AAA said.