WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures were up slightly Tuesday as traders weighed a slew of economic data and comments from OPEC officials.
Prices were steady after yesterday's decline from 3-year highs.
May WTI oil climbed by 30 cents, or 0.5%, to settle at $66.52/bbl.
Oil minister from Oman have called on OPEC and Russia to extend their supply quota plan beyond 2018, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's oil minister said such a move is possible.
'The agreement will continue until the end of this year,' Kuwait's al-Rashidi said. 'It would depend on market conditions whether to extend this agreement beyond 2018 or to reach a permanent agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC to support market stability.'
The Commerce Department said housing starts jumped by 1.9 percent to an annual rate of 1.319 million in March after tumbling by 3.3 percent to a revised 1.295 million in February.
The Federal Reserve released a report on Tuesday showing a slightly bigger than expected increase in U.S. industrial production in the month of March.
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