Oil prices clawed back some ground this evening, after some recent heavy losses caused by caution over the strength of the global economic recovery.
US crude rose 60 cents to $68.65 a barrel, while Brent North Sea crude added 35 cents to $68.01.
Crude futures had fallen sharply from levels above $70 on Monday and extended losses on Tuesday before stabilising on Wednesday as official data showed US crude stocks had fallen by an expected 400,000 barrels last week.
The Department of Energy's weekly report also said that petrol stockpiles had dropped by three million barrels, far steeper than expected by analysts. The US is the world's largest energy user and is seen as key to any recovery in oil demand.
Crude prices briefly hit $75 last week, the highest level in 10 months, but soon fell back again as analysts questioned the strength of demand for oil.
