Crude prices at year-to-date high

Crude oil reached its highest price so far this year on Thursday as fewer individuals filed first-time jobless claims last week and as the dollar weakened, making it cheaper for investors using other currencies to make purchases.

A report from the US Labor Department said 15,000 fewer people signed up for unemployment benefits last week, the first time the number of new claims had declined in around five months.

July contracts for West Texas Intermediate crude added $2.69 to trade at $68.81 per barrel by the close of floor trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude gained $2.85 to $68.73 per barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London.

Nymex July futures for both gasoline and heating oil added 5 cents on the session, to $1.82 per gallon and $1.78 per gallon, respectively, while July natural gas was up 4 cents to $3.81 per million British thermal units even though the Energy Information Administration reported that US inventories of natural gas grew by more than expected last week to 2.34 trillion cubic feet.