Oil prices top $81 a barrel

Oil prices top $81 a barrel

Energy prices settled higher on a day of uneven trading after the government said the economic recovery slowed during the second quarter as consumers conserved their money.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange:

Crude rose $2.39 to settle at $81.34 per barrel.

Gasoline added 4.61 cents to settle at $2.1685 a gallon.

Heating oil gained 6.57 cents to settle at $2.1538 a gallon.

Natural gas fell 22.2 cents to settle at $4.701 per 1,000 cubic feet.

On the ICE futures exchange:

Brent crude settled up $2.64 at $80.82 a barrel.