text: Crude Oil Prices Surpass \$50 Per Barrel Crude oil surpassed \$50 a barrel for the first time and analysts said Tuesday that prices could keep rising because of a sharp rise in global demand, tight supplies and threats to output in petroleum-producing nations such as Iraq and Nigeria.    Homeowners and energy-intensive industries could feel the sting from high oil prices worsen as seasonal demand picks up this winter, and there is already evidence that the supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Ivan are making it more costly to drive...