Oil prices hovered above $105 a barrel Thursday in Asia as investors awaited key U.S. employment data for clues about the strength of the economy and crude demand, according to AP. Benchmark oil for June delivery was down 17 cents to $105.05 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 94 cents to settle at $105.22 in New York on Wednesday. Brent crude for June delivery was up 10 cents at $118.30 per barrel in London. Natural gas has bounced to $2.28 per 1,000 cubic feet from a 10-year low near $1.90 last month as producers cut back output amid rising inventories. In other energy trading, heating oil was up 0.2 cents at $3.14 per gallon and gasoline futures added 1.1 cents at $3.09 per gallon.
