Oil rises, natural gas near 4-year low.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

WASHINGTON (AFX) - A surge in U.S. gasoline supplies briefly sent crude-oil futures lower on Wednesday, but prices eventually jumped above $61 a barrel after selling dried up near the $60 level.

Natural gas futures, meanwhile, traded at their lowest level in nearly four years after plunging 10 percent on concerns about record supplies heading into winter.

October natural gas fell 45.7 cents to $4.069 per 1,000 cubic feet. If prices settled at that level, it would be the lowest close for the front-month contract since November 2002.

Following a 20 percent decline in oil prices since mid-July, there is now much …