Oil prices surge after suspected tanker attack in Gulf of Oman

Oil prices surged 4 percent on Thursday after a unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy said it was aware of an incident involving a tanker in the Gulf of Oman near the Iranian coast.

Brent crude futures were up $2, or 3.3 percent, at $61.97 a barrel by 0646 GMT. Meanwhile WTI crude futures were up $1.41, or 2.7 percent, at $52.55 a barrel.

Read: Saudi oil tankers ‘significantly damaged’ on sabotage attacks: Al-Falih

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is part of the UK Royal Navy, said on Thursday that it was aware of an incident in the Gulf of Oman, near the Iranian coast.

"UK and its partners are currently investigating," it said.

Two tankers were hit in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman and the crew have been evacuated. Reports of one of the tankers on fire in the Gulf of Oman followed the earlier sabotage attacks on vessels near Fujairah, UAE.