And The Hits Keep Comin,' Yeah, Baby!!!

U.S. oil surges $4 to record above $70 on hurricane

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures surged more than $4 in opening trade on Monday, hitting a new record high above $70 a barrel after Hurricane Katrina forced Gulf of Mexico producers to shut in more than a third of their output.

Katrina, which strengthened into a rare, maximum power Category 5 hurricane as it spun through key oil and gas fields toward New Orleans, shut in a total 633,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to company figures on Sunday.

It also forced the closure of seven refineries and a major U.S. crude import terminal.

Crude oil futures (CLc1) on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) surged as high as $70.80 a barrel, up $4.67 a barrel, as traders feared lasting damage could further strain an industry that has struggled to keep up with demand for two years.

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