Oil prices jumped nearly $2 on Thursday after a big fall in U.S. natural gas inventories triggered renewed concerns about winter fuel stocks.
Light sweet crude for February delivery shot up $1.66 to $45.05 a barrel in late morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and heating oil was marginally lower at $1.2165.
In London, Brent crude was up $1.34 cents at $41.85 a barrel.
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