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Oil prices rally continue as investors pile in

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Oil prices rallied on February 2 as investors speculated that the falling cost of crude may have ended.

Brent crude was up 1.3% at $53.65 a barrel, having reached $55, while US oil rose 1.7% to $48.52.

It followed the release of data showing that US demand for leasing oil rigs was slowing, suggesting that producers might be preparing to cut output.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil reported a 21% fall in quarterly earnings on lower oil and gas production.Oil prices rally February 2015

On January 30, data showed that more than 90 US oil rigs were idled, the largest number to be wound down in a single day since the mid-1980s.

Today’s price rise extended the gains made last week, and boosted oil and gas share prices. Tullow Oil rose almost 7%, while BG Group climbed 5%.

Since last summer, the prices of Brent and UK West Texas Intermediate Crude have fallen from above $100 a barrel.

Meanwhile, Exxon, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, saw profit in the fourth quarter fall to $6.57 billion, from $8.35 billion for the same three months the year before.

Oil and natural gas production fell 3.8%, Exxon said.

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Clyde is a business graduate interested in writing about latest news in politics and business. He enjoys writing and is about to publish his first book. He’s a pet lover and likes to spend time with family. When the time allows he likes to go fishing waiting for the muse to come.