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Singapore - Oil prices rose in Asian trade on Friday after the United States denied reports that it and Britain had agreed to release strategic reserves of crude, analysts said.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, rose 35 cents to $105.46 in the afternoon while Brent North Sea crude for May delivery gained 60c to $123.20 on its first trading day.
The White House confirmed the issue of releasing oil reserves was discussed by US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, but said there was not pact of the sort reported by the London daily The Times on its website.
"I can tell you that among the many topics of discussion that the British prime minister and the president had were energy issues. And the situation globally with the rise in the price of oil," said White House spokesperson Jay Carney.
"But I can say very clearly that the report suggesting that any kind of an agreement was reached on a course of action with regard to those energy issues, that any agreement was reached with a timetable associated with it, that report is false. It is not accurate."
Victor Shum, senior principal of Purvin and Gertz energy consultants in Singapore, told AFP: "Oil has been rebounding since that denial."
Crude prices - which have risen in recent month amid concerns over a stand-off between the West and Iran - had fallen by more than $2 in New York and more than $4 in London before the denial.
