Crude Oil futures erased a small decline to turn higher Thursday

On Thursday after government data showed an unexpected drop in U.S. crude inventories. The Energy Information Administration said crude stocks fell by 1.6 million barrels.

 

A survey of analysts by The Wall Street Journal had produced an average estimate for a 1.9 million barrel rise.

 

West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery CLJ8, -0.15% on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 41 cents, or 0.7%, to $62.09 a barrel.

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