Oil prices climbed toward $79 a barrel Monday, the Associated Press reported. Benchmark crude for December delivery was up $1.32 to $78.75 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, The Associated Press reported. In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 2.94 cents to $2.03 a gallon. Gasoline for December delivery gained 3.06 cents to $1.95 a gallon. Natural gas for December delivery was steady at $4.60 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude for December delivery rose $1.20 to $77.07 on the ICE Futures exchange.
