US oil prices rose today ahead of the release of US industrial production and manufacturing figures that analysts expect to show an improving economy.
Benchmark oil for April delivery was up 29 cents to $93.32 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The contract fell 51 cents to close at $93.03 a barrel on the Nymex last night.
Brent crude was up 52 cents to $109.48 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.
Traders expect to see improvement in US industrial production for February when the Federal Reserve releases the details later today.
Oil prices rose slightly yesterday as US employment data supported the market, offsetting news about ample crude supplies and worries about the euro zone economy. Weekly US jobless claims fell by a greater-than-anticipated 10,000 to 332,000, helping to sustain hopes over the US labour market.
