Crude oil prices steady, near $100

Crude oil prices climbed close to $100 per barrel after the Commerce Department said the U.S. gross domestic product rose 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter. Friday's report puts the GDP short of the expected 3 percent growth but respectable next to fourt-quarter contractions in Britain and Germany. The fourth quarter's figure is also close to the Federal Reserve's forecast for U.S. economic growth for 2012, which is 2.7 percent. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude added 27 cents to reach $99.87 per barrel. Home heating oil added 2.92 cents $3.0638 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline added 4.24 cents to $2.8932 per gallon. Henry Hub natural gas prices lost 2.3 cents to $2.631 per million British thermal units. At the pump, the national average price of unleaded gasoline added one penny overnight, jumping from $3.379 per gallon to $3.389, AAA said.