Futures lost as much as 1.5 percent in New York. Inventories probably rose 2.9 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before a government report later Thursday. Global equities and industrial metals also dropped after an upbeat U.S. growth outlook fueled the possibility of interest-rate hikes. U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.84 million barrels in the week through Feb. 9, data from the Energy Information Administration show. While analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expect a further increase in this week’s numbers, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report a decline of 907,000 barrels. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York were little changed, putting them on course for a 2.8 percent drop in February. An industry report was said to show U.S. oil inventories rose last week, which would be the fourth expansion in five weeks if confirmed in government data. The head of OPEC plans to dine with shale producers in Houston next week at a time when America is pumping at record levels and threatening the group’s efforts to curb a global glut. U.S. crude output is forecast to rise to a record level in February, stoking fears that shale producers may derail OPEC’s strategy of reducing output to clear a global glut. The producer group’s Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said he will meet with U.S. shale company executives for dinner on Monday in Houston, the second time he has met with some of the cartel’s top rivals.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.764196; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158084; American Dollar to Euro = 1.232922; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009467; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053323.