NEW YORK, USA — Energy prices rose slightly yesterday with a majority of futures traders taking the holiday week off, though a stronger dollar helped keep a barrel of oil below US$79.

Benchmark crude for February delivery added a dime to settle at US$78.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, still the highest close since mid-November. In London, Brent crude for February delivery increased 31 cents to US$77.63 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

A rise in the dollar versus other currencies tends to push oil prices lower. Crude is priced in dollars, and investors holding foreign money can’t buy as much when the dollar rises.

Still, oil has pressed higher for four straight days. Crude is getting close to the high for the year of US$82 a barrel, and that’s tugging other fuels higher as well.

When the new year begins, analyst and trader Stephen Schork said he’ll be closely watching for signs of gasoline demand and how oil refiners will react. Petroleum consumption has dropped overall this year in the US, and if refiners can’t pass along higher crude prices to consumers, then Schork said he would expect a correction in oil prices.

“Refiners have a difficult row to hoe right now,” he said. “These guys can’t make money. They can’t pass on the exaggerated cost of crude to consumers. Some are trying to sell their refineries, and they’re not getting any takers.

“But unless you have a massive rally in the dollar, I don’t think you’ll get the correction in crude oil,” Schork said.

In other Nymex trading in January contracts, heating oil rose 2.93 cents to settle at US$2.1028 gallon while gasoline gave up less than a penny to settle at US$2.0106 a gallon. Natural gas fell 11.8 cents to US$5.872 per 1,000 cubic feet.