Oil Prices Up a Fourth Session In a Row

Oil prices climbed for a fourth session Thursday to notch another settlement at a two-month high. Four-consecutive weeks of declines in U.S. crude supplies and pledged cutbacks in exports from some members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have helped support prices, setting them up for a gain of roughly 7% for the week. September WTI crude rose 29 cents, or 0.6%, to settle $49.04 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.