U.S. crude stocks rise to 18-month high… U.S. data at 1330 GMT expected to show more job losses…  OPEC signals it may cut output further…

U.S. weekly inventory report shows fuel stock rise sharply… Year-on-year rise in U.S. gasoline purchases- Mastercard… Russia says OPEC to make “significant cuts”

Rising dollar, falling oil prices weigh on gold… Platinum group metals weighed by poor economic data

U.S. government says world oil demand will shrink this year and next… OPEC expected to agree output cut next week…

Could someone notify our clueless congresscritters? Fresh data from the U.S. Department of Energy show the amount of petroleum products shipped by the world’s top oil exporters fell 2.5% last year, despite a 57% increase in prices, a trend that appears to be holding true this year as well.

What if I told you Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, BHP Billiton, Chevron and ConocoPhillips have committed more than $100 billion into a new source of energy? You’d definitely want to get involved in the early stages, right?

The U.S. Energy Department said earlier this week that it expects average monthly gasoline prices to peak at $3.60 a gallon this spring, since the high prices will serve to curb demand.