U.S. crude oil prices rose above $50 per barrel on Monday and were near last week’s multi-month highs as the number of U.S. rigs drilling for new production fell and refineries continued to restart after getting knocked out by Hurricane Harvey. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were trading up 10 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $49.99 by 0653 GMT, after earlier nudging above the $50 per barrel mark towards the more than three-month high of $50.50 reached last Thursday. Brent crude futures LCOc1, the benchmark for oil prices outside the United States, were at $55.66 a barrel, up 4 cents, and also not far from the near five-month high of $55.99 touched on Thursday. “Demand forecasts […]