Crude topped $81 a barrel as the global power crunch boosts demand for oil ahead of winter. West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 2.7% to the highest level since October 2014. The prices of fuels such as coal and natural gas are soaring in Europe and Asia as stockpiles run low before the Northern Hemisphere winter, prompting a switch to oil products such as diesel and kerosene. The oil market’s structure has also rocketed in recent days, a sign of the growing bullish sentiment among traders. The difference between the nearest two December WTI contracts — known in industry jargon as the Dec.-Red-Dec. spread — topped $8 a barrel on Monday, its widest since 2014. The American crude benchmark has risen about 30% since mid-August as the energy crisis […]