REUTERS/Chen Aizhu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Oil futures climbed about 1% to a one-week high on Friday as U.S. diesel prices soared, the number of oil rigs dropped and a fire broke out at a refinery in Louisiana.
Brent futures rose $1.12, or 1.3%, to settle at $84.48 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 78 cents, or 1.0%, to settle at $79.83.
Diesel futures soared about 5% to a near seven-month high, boosting the diesel crack spread , a measure of refining profit margins, to its highest since January 2023.
"The main thing was concern about diesel prices, the diesel crack spread and worries about diesel shortages when refineries go into maintenance," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.
He added prices also drew support from a fire at a Louisiana refinery and a drop in U.S. oil rigs.
Persons:
Chen Aizhu, Phil Flynn, Brent, WTI, Baker Hughes, Jerome Powell, Morgan Stanley, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, David Goodman, Jason Neely, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman
Organizations:
China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Diesel, Price Futures Group, U.S ., Federal, Thomson
Locations:
China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Louisiana, Brent, , Louisiana, U.S, Germany, Europe's, Norwegian, London, Washington, Singapore