Sept. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil and gasoline rose on speculation that Congress will adopt a rescue plan for the U.S. economy, and a report showing that the nation's gasoline supplies dropped to the lowest in 41 years.

Energy prices rose after Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said Republicans and Democrats have agreed on a ``set of principles'' for a financial-rescue package. Gasoline stockpiles fell 5.9 million barrels to 178.7 million barrels, the lowest since 1967, the Energy Department said yesterday.

``It's become clear that they are going to pass something and that's increased optimism about both the economy and demand,'' said Michael Fitzpatrick, vice president for energy risk management at MF Global Ltd. in New York.

Crude oil for November delivery rose $2.29, or 2.2 percent, to settle at $108.02 a barrel at 2:45 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices are down 27 percent from the record $147.27 a barrel reached on July 11.

Gasoline for October delivery climbed 10.26 cents, or 4 percent, to settle at $2.6973 a gallon in New York.

Refineries operated at 66.7 percent of capacity last week, the lowest since the department began compiling weekly figures in 1989, yesterday's report showed.

``Yesterday's inventory numbers were very bullish,'' said Peter Beutel, president of Cameron Hanover Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut. It's a big deal when you have a third of refining capacity off line.''

Interruptions

Interruptions to supplies of crude and products increased today as Royal Dutch Shell Plc shut a gasoline-making unit at Europe's largest oil refinery, and Chevron Corp. faced renewed strike action in Nigeria.

Shell shut the unit at its Pernis refinery in the Netherlands following a technical fault yesterday, company spokesman Wim van de Wiel said.

In Nigeria, a strike planned by members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers may disrupt exports from Chevron's Escravos terminal. The company produced 353,000 barrels of crude oil daily in Nigeria in 2007, according to its Web site.

Brent crude oil for November settlement climbed $2.15, or 2.1 percent, to settle at $104.60 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Shenk in New York at mshenk1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 25, 2008 16:23 EDT