LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Oil futures rose Thursday, pushing toward $94 a barrel after unexpectedly strong December export data from China and a report that Saudi Arabia cut crude production. February crude futures rose 72 cents, or 0.8%, to $93.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract touched a high of $94.70. Front-month crude contract prices haven't closed above $94 since mid-September. A weaker U.S. dollar in the wake of China's report that exports jumped 14.1% also spurred gains for dollar-denominated oil. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts ... Read More