Oil price up over petrol demand

Oil prices have risen nearly 9% after the US government reported an unexpected drop in crude stocks and an increase in demand for petrol. Prices were also supported by a rise in China's manufacturing index. China is the second biggest oil consumer
US crude stocks fell by 700,000 barrels for the last week of February.

US crude stocks fell by 700,000 barrels for the last week of February, while demand for petrol over the past four weeks was up 2.2% from a year ago. US light crude rose by $3.73 to $45.38.

"Overall the (US oil inventory) numbers are very bullish... again, gasoline remains the one bright spot in the market that can really pull the complex higher,"pointed out an analyst.

Stock markets around the world have been rising on Wednesday on hopes China will announce an expansion to its economic stimulus plan.However, an analyst at Oil Price Information Service said that crude inventories had been swollen for months and that oil prices won't move higher without some signs that the economic malaise has bottomed out.

"It's going to be a shaky year. The fundamentals are still poor," he added.