Persistent chill heats up oil pricing

The price of crude oil topped $94 a barrel Monday morning in New York, boosted by wintry weather that was in no hurry to to dissipate. In a long-range forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said cold weather would likely linger through April 7, extending the demand for heating oil. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for May delivery added 46 cents to reach $94.24 per barrel. Gasoline prices added 1.67 cents to $3.0682 per gallon. Home heating oil gained 1.46 cents to $2.9896 a gallon. Natural gas gained 2.6 cents to reach $3.963 per million British thermal units. At the pump, a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.667 Monday, down from Sunday's $3.661, the AAA Fuel Gauge Report said.