Crude oil for February delivery rose as much as $1.06, or 2 percent, to $52.94 a barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its first gain this week. The contract traded at $52.34 at 12:58 p.m. in London.

Brent crude oil for February settlement climbed as much as $1.24, or 2.4 percent, to $52.94 a barrel in electronic trading on the ICE Futures exchange and traded at $52.36 in London.

Some analysts and brokers expect a forecast for colder weather next week to push prices higher. Colder weather will reach the northeastern U.S. Jan. 17 through Jan. 21, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. Temperatures in the region were milder than normal through the first part of winter. New York had its third-warmest December on record.

``The temperature is expected to drop below normal after'' the next five days, said Michael Davies, an analyst in London with broker Sucden (U.K.) Ltd. ``Many traders are expecting OPEC to take action in order to support prices.''