Oil rises to $57 per barrel

Oil prices rose on Wednesday in spite of a rise in US crude inventories with the market heading for its largest 3rd quarter gain in 13 years after the Iraqi oil minister said OPEC and its partners were considering extending or deepening output cuts.

Brent crude futures rose to 56.20 dollars a barrel by 12:19 p.m. EDT (1619 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 91 cents, or 1.8 per cent, to 50.39 dollars.

Crude prices were on course for a rise of nearly 16 per cent this quarter which would make this year’s performance the strongest for the third quarter since 2004.

U.S. crude oil stockpiles jumped last week as imports and production increased, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said, as operations resumed from the impact of Hurricane Harvey which hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 25.

UCJ, UNILORIN.