Crude oil ended at $61.04, up 48 percent from a year ago, and natural gas was up less than a penny to settle at $11.225 per million Btu.

Natural gas rose 82.6 percent from its level at the end of last year, resulting in price hikes to residential customers of more than 40 percent and cash-flow problems for many of the nation's utilities.

Gasoline was up a nickel to $1.725 per gallon, and heating oil gained 2 cents to $1705 per gallon.