West Texas Intermediate crude rose from a two-week low as the fewest U.S. workers in more than five years applied for unemployment benefits over the past month, bolstering optimism that fuel demand will accelerate.

Prices gained as claims in the month ended Aug. 17 declined to 330,500 a week on average, the least since November 2007, the Labor Department reported. Chinese manufacturing resumed expansion and output at European factories improved. WTI dropped earlier as the Federal Reserve signaled a likely reduction in economic stimulus this year.

WTI for October delivery rose 52 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $104.37 a barrel at 10:34 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The volume of all futures traded was 22 percent below the 100-day average. The contract fell to $103.85 yesterday, the lowest close since Aug. 8.

Brent for October settlement increased 19 cents to $110 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 28 percent below 100-day average. The European benchmark was at a premium of $5.63 to WTI. The spread was $5.96 yesterday, the widest since June 26.

Gold prices rose after the publication of the minutes of the last meeting of the Open Market of the Federal Reserve System. The report did not give investors a clear picture of future monetary policy of the U.S. central bank.

Gold prices rose in recent weeks, however, this growth has stopped a few days before the publication of minutes of the Fed meeting, while some traders took a cautious stance.

One source of concern was the question of whether members of the Federal Reserve began to think more and more in the direction of minimizing the incentive program.

However, reports have indicated that the views of the leaders of the central bank on terms to minimize the program of bond purchases were divided, with some of them voted for a reduction in the program in a short time, while others called for greater caution. Fed officials also called exit in recent economic data "mixed", leaving traders in the dark as to the timing of the first reduction in monthly bond purchases by the central bank.

Gold fell by nearly 20 percent since the beginning of the year, but up 15 percent from a three-year low of $ 1.180,71 an ounce in late June.

The cost of the October gold futures on COMEX today rose to $ 1381.20 per ounce.

Change % Change Last

GOLD 1,370.60 -2.50 -0.18%

OIL (WTI) 103.91 -1.20 -1.14%