Crude oil futures prices for delivery until 2016 have surged above $100 a barrel as investors bet that oil costs will remain high in the long term even if they weaken in the short because the impact of the US economic slowdown.

Every futures contract until December 2016 finished last week above $100 a barrel for the first time after a strong rally in long-dated futures prices. The Nymex December 2016 future settled on Friday at $103.59 a barrel.