CRUDE OIL

Crude oil rose to a seven-week high near $74 a barrel on Tuesday after OPEC raised its 2010 demand forecast and the dollar weakened, boosting demand for commodities.

United States Natural Gas Fund, an exchange-traded fund in the natural gas market, reiterated on Tuesday that it could invest in interests other than futures contacts to comply with accountability levels and position limits.

Stock futures were flat on Tuesday as a weaker U.S. dollar helped lift commodity prices and Johnson & Johnson's third-quarter sales figures disappointed investors.

Oil rose to more than $72 a barrel on Friday, as a positive demand outlook from the International Energy Agency outweighed a bounce in the dollar.

Energy prices are volatile. They change as market participants adjust their expectations to new information from physical energy markets and markets for energy-related financial derivatives. Futures and options markets are a valuable source of information regarding these changing expectations.

Big oil producing nations denied a British newspaper report on Tuesday that Gulf Arab states were in secret talks with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies in trading oil.

Britain's The Independent newspaper said on Tuesday that Gulf Arab states were in secret talks with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies in the trading of oil.

Britain's The Independent newspaper on Tuesday reported that Gulf Arab states were in secret talks with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies in the trading of oil.

The Dow and S&P 500 fell on Monday as a stronger U.S. dollar hurt energy and materials stocks, but the Nasdaq gained on strength in biotech share.

Continental Resources Inc, a crude-oil concentrated, independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, on Friday sold $300 million of senior notes in the 144a private placement market, said market sources.

Asian shares swept to their highest levels for 2009 on Wednesday after upbeat U.S. economic news boosted riskier assets leveraged to global growth, while the U.S. dollar slipped to a one-year low.

Environmentalists shut down a Canadian oil sands mine on Tuesday in a series of protests on the eve of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit with President Barack Obama, aimed at pressing their case that the projects undermine the fight against climate change.

Oil rose toward $69 a barrel on Tuesday, lifted by a weaker dollar and an expected draw in U.S. crude stocks, but concerns that a major U.S. exchange will increase enforcement of position limits capped gains.

Noble Energy Inc has put North Sea assets up for sale that some Wall Street analysts value at up to $650 million.

The dollar crawled up on Monday from a one-year low against other currencies as speculators booked profits on bets against the greenback, while the yen's surge threatened Japanese exporters and drove Tokyo shares down.

Global oil demand will be almost 0.5 million barrels per day higher than previously forecast this year and next on stronger-than-expected U.S. and Chinese fuel consumption, the International Energy Agency said.

ConocoPhillips has exercised an option to buy Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA's 50 percent stake in Merey Sweeny LP, part owner of the Sweeny refinery in Texas, Conoco said on Friday.

World stocks ticked higher on Thursday, bolstered by firmer Chinese shares, while the euro gained and the region's government bonds slipped ahead of a European Central Bank monetary policy decision.

Stocks declined on Monday, pressured as a sharp drop in Chinese equities led to weakness in the energy sector.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors turned back an early sell-off, thanks to a rebound in oil prices.

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors turned back an early sell-off, thanks to a rebound in oil prices.