Crude-oil futures edged higher in Asia Thursday after overnight data showed a small drop in U.S. weekly oil stockpiles and as events in Iraq continue to play out. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in July traded at $106.59 a barrel at 0630 GMT, up $0.62 in the Globex electronic session. August Brent crude on London’s ICE Futures exchange rose $0.46 to $114.72 a barrel. The two global oil benchmarks had diverged overnight, with Nymex WTI crude settling lower for three consecutive sessions, while Brent crude has been up for six straight sessions, its longest winning streak since the six-day period ending Aug. 16. U.S. oil stockpiles posted a decline of 579,000 barrels last week, but its gasoline stocks rose unexpectedly, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The country’s domestic crude production however continues to rise and is currently at its highest […]