"Oil Prices Surge Amid Middle East Tensions, Building Bullish Momentum"

Crude oil prices continued to rise, marking a fourth winning week out of five, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East and despite challenging headlines. Despite a significant increase in U.S. stockpiles and concerns about global oil demand growth, time spreads for oil benchmarks signal tight conditions, leading to bullish forecasts from prominent market watchers. Front-month Nymex crude for March delivery settled at its highest value since November, while U.S. natural gas declined for the week. Energy and natural resources equities saw mixed performance, with Fusion Fuel Green and Verde Clean Fuels among the top gainers, while SSR Mining and Fluence Energy were among the top decliners.