Oil futures finished higher Tuesday as traders bet that better-than-expected U.S. economic data would bolster demand for petroleum products, while violence in South Sudan sparked fears of a further tightening of global supplies. Light, sweet crude for February delivery settled 31 cents higher, or 0.3%%, to $99.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Nymex crude has posted gains in four of the past five trading sessions. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange gained 44 cents, or 0.4%, to $112.00 a barrel. Trading volume in both contracts was lighter than normal as the Nymex closed an hour early because of the Christmas holiday. The market will be closed Wednesday, with electronic trading resuming at 6 p.m. EST. In the latest examples of positive economic data, the U.S. Commerce Department said orders for durable goods–big-ticket items such as cars and aircraft designed to last more than three […]