Oil prices rose above $73 a barrel Wednesday, pushed higher mostly by a rising stock market and a declining U.S. dollar. The U.S. government also released a mixed report on petroleum inventories. The Energy Department said U.S. crude supplies fell last week, though analysts noted that typically happens toward the end of the year as refineries reduce their inventories. The report by the department's Energy Information Administration (EIA) also said gasoline supplies increased, and consumption of petroleum products fell to its lowest level since early July. Despite the EIA report, oil prices were mostly supported by the declining dollar. Crude is priced in U.S. currency, and a drop in the dollar makes it easier for investors holding foreign currencies to purchase oil. --SPA
