Oil prices extend gains on eurozone growth data

Oil prices continued to surge in Asian trade Friday as positive economic data from the eurozone raised hopes of a recovery in energy demand, analysts said. In afternoon trade, New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, was up 36 cents to 70.88 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for September delivery advanced 24 cents to 73.72 dollars. Crude markets were buoyed by better-than-expected growth data on the 16-nation eurozone economy, analysts said.