Crude Oil Prices Set Record High

Prices for energy commodities kept climbing Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, with oil closing at more than $72 per 42-gallon barrel.

High-quality crude for May delivery was up 82 cents to $72.17 per barrel, a record.

Natural gas jumped 2.3 percent to $8.192 per million Btu, its highest level since early February.

Gasoline for May delivery was up 1.55 cents to $2.394 per gallon. Heating oil rose about as much to settle at $2.066 per gallon.