U.S. Crude-oil Inventories Rise 800K Barrels, Says API

U.S. crude-oil inventories appear to have risen this past week with analysts expecting a decline. U.S. crude-oil inventories rose by about 800,000 barrels to 387.3 million barrels, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The data precedes more closely watched figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration expected Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by Platts expect a decline of 1.25 million barrels on the week. At the Tuesday settlement, February oil futures rose 51 cents to $54.12 a barrel.