Oil futures soared Friday as surging markets for refined gasoline and diesel helped drive crude higher, with traders looking past a fall in U.S. drilling activity that was more modest than expected. The benchmark U.S. oil contract gained $1.59 or 3.3% to settle at $49.76 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The global Brent contract rose $2.53 or 4.2% to settle at $62.58 a barrel. Oil-field services company Baker Hughes Inc. said its count of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. fell by 33 this week to 986, slipping below 1,000 for the first time since June 2011. Though that number is down 31% from a year ago, the weekly decline fell short of what analysts said would be necessary to have a substantial effect. Research consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates said the weekly count would have to fall by at least 50 to affect the market. […]