Light sweet crude for November delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 14 cents to US$61.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midmorning in Singapore. The contract on Monday gained 90 cents to settle at US$61.45 a barrel.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries recently reduced its demand forecast for the remainder of the year, citing weakening demand in the U.S., among other factors. However, some cartel members have insinuated that oil prices below US$60 could prompt a production cut.
Also supporting oil prices were expectations that Wednesday's midweek U.S. petroleum supply snapshot would show domestic crude stocks declined in the week ended Sept. 22.
Crude inventories were expected to fall by 1.92 million barrels, according to a Dow Jones Newswires poll of analysts.
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Distillate stockpiles, which include heating oil and jet fuel, were expected to gain 2 million barrels, the poll showed. The Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Energy Department's statistical arm, was to release the data Wednesday.
Oil prices are down 21 percent since hitting a record of US$78.40 on July 14.
Heating oil futures rose 0.71 cent to US$1.6635 a gallon (3.8 liters) while gasoline prices rose 0.99 cent to US$1.51 a gallon.
Nymex natural gas futures rebounded from a three-year-low settlement to rise 3.5 cents to US$4.51 per 1,000 cubic feet Tuesday. The contract slid 15.2 cents Monday amid record U.S. supplies to settle at US$4.475 per 1,000 cubic feet _ the lowest close since Sept. 26, 2003.