Crude surges amid concerns on Venezuela

NEW YORK, Jan 6 (AFP) - Crude oil futures surged more than two dollars a barrel Thursday as markets reacted to a fresh labor dispute emerging in Venezuela.
February crude closed at 45.56 dollars a barrel, up 2.17 dollars on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
In London, the contract for Brent futures jumped 2.34 dollars to close at 42.85 dollars a barrel.
Oil workers and the government in Venezuela were reportedly arguing over a tentative agreement reached last week, said Phil Flynn, a US-based analyst at Alaron Trading.
The reports are leading "oil traders to worry that there may be a potential showdown coming in the future" that could lead to a disruption in Venezuela's oil output, he said.

01/06/2005 20:27 GMT - AFP