Special Report: Chinese Oil Prices

World oil prices rise to seven-month high

    NEW YORK, April 10 (Xinhua) -- World crude oil prices rose to near 69 dollars Monday, their 7 months high, on news reports that the U.S. might attack Iran's underground nuclear site.

    New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, added 1.35 dollars to close at 68.74 dollars a barrel, its highest closing price since Sept. 1, after touching intra-day high of 68.95 dollars.

    On London's ICE Futures exchange, the price of Brent North Sea crude for May delivery climbed 1.64 dollars to 68.93 dollars a barrel, to its record high since 1988.

    On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the heating oil rose 6.28 cent to 1.9454 dollars a gallon as gasoline futures was up 3.24 cents to 2.0092 dollars per gallon. Natural gas futures was up 13.9 cents to 6.882 dollars per 1,000 cubic feet.

    An article published by the latest issue of the New Yorker magazine asserts that the Pentagon this winter presented the White House with an option to use bunker-buster nuclear bombs against Iran's underground nuclear site.

    The U.S. White House reiterated on Monday that it wants to settle Iran's nuclear crisis through diplomacy after media reports said that the Pentagon is planning for possible military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Meanwhile, about one-fourth of Nigeria's daily output is still shut after a series of militant attacks. Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer and the fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports. Enditem