US crude oil closes in on $99

The price for a barrel of crude oil moved higher Monday morning, closing in on $99 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. West Texas Intermediate crude oil in New York added 79 cents to $98.46 per barrel. Reformulated blendstock gasoline added 0.4 cents to $2.9007 a gallon. Home heating oil gained 0.44 cents to $2.9666 a gallon. Natural gas gained 7.5 cents to $3.808 per million British thermal units. Energy prices are higher after the U.S. decision to supply arms Syria's rebels, which some observers see as a potential threat to supply lines. At the pump, the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline was $3.611, down from Sunday's $3.614, AAA Fuel Gauge report said.