Oil also gained after some fields off Australia shut down because of a cyclone.
Crude oil for February delivery climbed as much as 45 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $96.45 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $96.42 at 8:20 a.m. Singapore time. Oil has risen 58 percent this year, heading for its biggest annual gain in eight years.
