Oil rises above $96 despite growing stockpiles Associated Press Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 1:56 am, Friday, January 25, 2013 BANGKOK (AP) — The price of oil topped $96 per barrel Friday despite ample stockpiles of crude amid signs of growth in the world's two largest economies. Recent optimism about improving economies in the U.S.