Oil prices closed higher Wednesday as signs of rising gasoline demand negated a larger-than-expected build in inventory levels. Light, sweet crude for March delivery settled up 17 cents, or 0.3%, to $52.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after trading as low as $51.50 a barrel earlier in the session. Brent, the global benchmark, settled up 7 cents, or 0.1%, at $55.12 a barrel. Prices reversed course after the…