Crude futures climb back toward $50 Natural-gas futures drop for the firs

[takumi]

http://markets.usatoday.com/custom/usatoday-com/html-story.asp?markets=Commodities&guid=%7B12D52115%2DCD21%2D439A%2D8E32%2D85C4ED53AE6E%7D

SAN FRANCISCO -- Oil futures headed back toward $50 a barrel early Thursday in New York, with traders assessing the likelihood of more increases in U.S. crude inventories in the coming weeks and the question of whether a ceasefire between militants and troops in Nigeria sticks.

"The market probably can't sustain a pattern of declines until inventory readings confirm a consistent replenishment" of U.S. petroleum inventories, Michael Fitzpatrick, analyst at Fimat USA, said in a note to clients.

But "if no fundamental events combine to push prices to new highs, a significant correction is quite possible over the next week to 10 days," he said.

At last check, crude for November delivery traded at $49.65 a barrel, up 14 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 39 cents in the previous session to break a nine-session climb.

Also on Nymex, October heating oil rose 0.42 cent to $1.378 a gallon. October unleaded gasoline climbed to $1.337 a gallon, up 0.01 cent.