MARKET WATCH: Crude oil futures price ticks up before Easter holiday

The New York Mercantile Exchange May crude oil contract price increased 54¢ to close at $104.30/bbl on Apr. 17. Markets were closed Apr. 18 in observance of the Good Friday holiday. The June contract, meanwhile, gained 34¢ to $103.37/bbl.

The May natural gas contract rose 21.1¢ to a rounded $4.74/MMbtu.

Heating oil for May delivery was virtually unchanged at a rounded $3.01/gal. Reformulated gasoline stock for oxygenate blending for May delivery edged up 1.42¢ to a rounded $3.05/gal.

In London the June ICE contract for Brent crude delivery was down 7¢, closing at $109.53/bbl. The July contract declined 9¢ to close at $109.16/bbl. The ICE gas oil contract for May was up $2.50 to $927.75/tonne.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries did not post a price on Apr. 17 for its basket of 12 benchmark crudes. The Apr. 16 price was $106.06/bbl.