Crude oil prices rose to a record high as storms in the North Sea forced BP plc and ConocoPhillips to close production platforms and concerns remain about the Middle East, Bloomberg reported.

Crude oil for December delivery rose $2.46, or 2.6 percent, to a record $96.44 a barrel in after-hours trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude oil gained as much as $2.25, or 2.5 percent, to $92.74 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Analysts expect the U.S. Energy Department to report tomorrow that crude oil inventories fell 1.7 million barrels last week. They also expect U.S. inventories to be down as U.S. refineries reopen units after performing seasonal maintenance.