Crude oil futures ended significantly higher on Friday amid data showed China's services sector activity remained well within growth territory in April, and the U.S. economy saw a bigger than expected addition in U.S. non-farm payrolls in April. Data from the Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment shot up by 253,000 jobs in April compared to economist estimates for an increase of about 179,000 jobs.
Benchmark crude oil futures for June delivery rose $2.78 or about 4.1 percent to settle at $71.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. However, Brent crude for July delivery added $2.69 or about 3.9 percent to settle at $75.30 a barrel on London's Intercontinental Exchange.