Brent crude oil rose on Wednesday as strong demand and falling stockpiles in the United States pushed prices higher. Brent futures were up 99 cents at $64.69 a barrel at 0514 ET. Front month U.S. crude futures were up 83 cents at $60.80 per barrel. U.S. crude stocks fell last week even as refineries cut output, while gasoline inventories dropped and distillate stocks built, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday. [API/S] U.S. crude stocks are forecast to have fallen 1.7 million barrels last week, according to a Reuters poll of analysts. Gasoline stocks are expected to be down 300,000 barrels. [EIA/S] “The API (data) was bullish and (U.S. gasoline) is tight,” a broker in London said. J.P. Morgan said in its weekly oil research note that U.S. production had reached a new high this week, but that it would start to drop. An […]