WTI rises on lower stockpiles and as Fed tapers off

West Texas Intermediate crude traded in New York increased on Thursday traded close to the strongest level in one week after a report showed that inventories in the U.S. dropped and as the U.S. Federal Reserve trimmed its stimulus as the economy improves. WTI for delivery in January expiring today rose 6 cents to $97.86 per barrel on the NYMEX.