Oil prices surged on Friday following the sharpest weekly drop in U.S. oil rig count in nearly 30 years, while the dollar index was on track to end January with gains of about 5 percent. U.S. stocks cut losses as energy shares followed oil prices higher. U.S. crude CLc1 rose 8.3 percent to settle at $48.24 a barrel, while Brent crude LCc1 jumped 7.9 percent to settle at $52.99. The S&P 500 energy .SPNY was up 0.8 percent. [ID:nL1N0V9266] European stocks ended lower, but registered their biggest monthly gain in three years, while major U.S. stock indexes were on track for a second straight monthly decline. The dollar index .DXY, bolstered by expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will be the first major central bank to raise interest rates, also was poised to end January with its longest run of gains since the greenback was floated […]