Brent crude up to $82.86 a barrel on Thursday and the US West Texas Intermediate crude futures up to $78.03

OIL AND GAS — The oil market rose on Thursday after retail data in the United States prompted a sell-off in the Dollar, the trading currency for the commodity, with Brent crude futures up by $1.26 or 1.5 per cent to $82.86 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate crude futures up by $1.39 or 1.8 per cent to $78.03 per barrel. The US Dollar index slid about 0.3 per cent after data showed US retail sales fell more than expected in January... businesspost.ng