Oil prices rose by nearly a dollar a barrel on Thursday as Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for a stalled peace process, and as earlier U.S. data showed signs of strong demand in the top oil consuming nation.
Brent crude futures rose 83 cents, or 1.2 per cent, to settle at $67.67 a barrel, a two-week high. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 81 cents, or 1.3 per cent, to close at $63.52 a barrel.