Crude prices rose above $78 a barrel Monday in Asia, AP reported. Benchmark crude for January delivery was up 97 cents to $78.44 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 26 cents to settle at $77.20 on Friday. In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 2.58 cents to $2.00 a gallon. Gasoline for December delivery gained 1.78 cents to $2.00 a gallon. Natural gas for December delivery jumped 9.6 cents to $4.52 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude for January delivery rose $1.04 to $78.24 on the ICE Futures exchange.
