NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices
rose more than $1 on Thursday, lifted above $75 a barrel by an
oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Earl's
possible impact on East Coast refineries.
U.S. equities were boosted by encouraging pending home
sales, retail sales and jobless claims, adding to the lift in
oil prices along with the weaker dollar.
Hurricane Earl's threat to the U.S. East Coast refineries
also helped push RBOB gasoline prices higher.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude <CLV0>
rose $1.15, or 1.56 percent, to $75.06 a barrel by 2:15 p.m.
EDT (1615 GMT), trading from $73.11 to $75.14.
October RBOB <RBV0> gasoline futures rose 3.47 cents, or
1.84 percent, to $1.9238 a gallon, trading from $1.8737 to
$1.9274.
(Reporting by Robert Gibbons)