Crude Oil Rises and Natural Gas Surges

Energy prices rallied Thursday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, with natural gas leading the charge.

Natural gas was up 32 cents to $7.13 per million Btu, a nearly 5-percent gain, while high-quality crude for May delivery rose 70 cents to settle at $69.32 per barrel, a 1-percent increase.

Heating oil was up slightly to close at $1.985 per gallon, and gasoline rose fractionally to end the session at $2.105 per gallon.