New york: Oil prices extended gains on Thursday, bolstered by signs of strong demand in the US, with uncertainty over efforts to end the war in Ukraine also lending support. Brent crude futures hit a two-week high in early trade and were up 27 cents, or 0.40%, to $67.11 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 29 cents, or 0.46%, to $63 a barrel. Both contracts climbed over 1% in the prior session.

According to Qatar News Agency, US crude inventories fell by 6 million barrels last week to 420.7 million barrels, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Wednesday. Gasoline stocks dropped by 2.7 million barrels, versus expectations for a 915,000-barrel draw, the EIA said, indicating steady driving demand during the summer travel season.