OIL PRICES ROSE TUESDAY AS ENERGY TRADERS MONITORED SUPPLY THREATS FROM MIDDLE EAST FIGHTING AND A TROPICAL STORM IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA0 NATURAL-GAS FUTURES EASED AFTER A HEAT-INDUCED SURGE IN ELECTRICITY DEMAND PUSHED THEM SHARPLY HIGHER A DAY EARLIER0 LIGHT SWEET CRUDE FOR SEPTEMBER DELIVERY ROSE 95 CENTS TO $7335 A BARREL ON THE NEW YORK MERCANTILE EXCHANGE WHERE GASOLINE FUTURES JUMPED BY MORE THAN 7 CENTS TO $228 A GALLON /38 LITERS/0 THE RISE IN GASOLINE PRICES CAME AS REFINER VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION SAID THAT UNITS AT TWO OF ITS PLANTS IN LOUISIANA AND TEXAS WOULD BE CLOSED FOR THE NEXT WEEK FOR REPAIRS0 IN THE MIDDLE EAST THERE WERE FEW SIGNS OF A QUICK RESOLUTION TO THE ESCALATING CONFLICT AS ISRAEL DECIDED TO WIDEN ITS GROUND OFFENSIVE0 OIL TRADERS ARE FEARFUL OF POSSIBLE SUPPLY INTERRUPTIONS IN THE REGION0 MEANWHILE THE U0S0 NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAID TROPICAL STORM CHRIS HAS FORMED IN THE CARIBBEAN RAISING TRADERS) FEARS THAT IT COULD STRENGTHEN AND DAMAGE OIL PLATFORMS AND REFINERIES ALONG THE U0S0 GULF COAST0
