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Oil costs up on wildfires in Canada, US stocks drawdown expectations

Oil prices increased in early trade on Wednesday as big wildfires were threatening Canada's oil sands and as the marketplace expected U.S. crude oil and gas inventories to reveal a drawdown later on in the day.

Brent unrefined futures were up 34 cents, or 0.4% at $ 82.71 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate unrefined futures ( WTI) rose 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $78.39 a barrel by 0016 GMT.

A large wildfire was approaching Fort McMurray, the center for Canada's oil sands market with production of around 3.3 million barrels daily, or two-thirds of the country's overall output, and thousands in suburbs were informed to evacuate.

U.S. manufacturer costs increased more than expected in April and, even if the prospect for rate cuts has become less particular, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said it remained not likely the Fed would need to raise rates any even more.

U.S. consumer rates along with U.S. crude oil and gas stock information are both due on Wednesday. Market sources cited American Petroleum Institute's figures on Tuesday as saying U.S. crude oil and gas stocks fell last week.

The API figures showed unrefined stocks were down by 3.104 million barrels in the week ended May 10, the sources stated on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories fell by 1.269 million barrels, and distillates increased by 673,000 barrels.

The lack of development on bringing down inflation continues to lower expectations of a rate cut in the near term, ANZ Research study stated in a note. Expectations of another drawdown in US oil inventories ought to support oil costs.

In the Middle East, Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah in Gaza, reaching some houses where more than a. million individuals had sought shelter, and its forces pounded the. enclave's north in a few of the fiercest attacks in months.