World oil prices top $50 per barrel

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Wednesday to cut output to 32.5 to 33 million barrels per day (bpd) from around 33.5 million bpd, estimated by Reuters to be the output level in August.

OPEC said other details of the plan will be known at its policy meeting in November, leaving unanswered when the agreement will come into effect, what new quotas for member countries will be and for what periods, and how compliance will be verified.

Earlier in the day, oil was down, with crude futures retreating from their 6-percent gain on Wednesday, the biggest in a day since April. A steady dollar and weak U.S. stock market also limited some of the upside in oil in early trading.

Global benchmark Brent crude oil was up 36 cents a barrel at $49.05 by 2:58 p.m. ET (1858 GMT). The contract earlier rose to $49.81, the highest intraday level since September 8.

U.S. light crude oil settled up 78 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $47.83 a barrel, the highest close since August 23.