Global unrest pushes oil near $100 a barrel

12/23/2011
BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

NEW YORK — Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel Friday as worries over global security issues outweighed weak economic data in the United States.

Benchmark crude ended the day at $99.68 a barrel in New York, up 15 cents. It rose as high as $100.23 during the session. Brent crude finished 7 cents higher at $107.96 a barrel in London.

Tensions between Iran and western nations, along with unrest in Syria, Bahrain, Kazakhstan and Iraq have raised worries that oil supplies could be disrupted if the unrest spreads or grows more serious.