US oil prices rose on Tuesday as gasoline prices fell as demand for crude rose and fears of fuel shortages eased as refineries in the Gulf of Mexico resumed operations gradually.
Gasoline futures fell about 4 percent below the previous closing price to $ 1.68 a gallon from $ 2.17 on Aug. 31 and returned to pre-hurricane levels that hit the US coast on the Gulf of Mexico and the huge refining sector there.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures jumped about 3 percent to $ 48.64 a barrel by 1320 GMT, hitting a two-week high of 1.35 cents from the previous settlement price.
Brent crude futures also rose 0.9 percent to $ 53.23 a barrel amid signs the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could extend production cuts after the end of the first quarter of 2018.
