Commodities market summary A summary of trading in key commodities markets overseas: ENERGY: Oil prices have closed mixed after disappointing manufacturing data in the United States and China and a US pipeline closure that stoked fears of a further build-up of supplies. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in May slipped 16 US cents to settle at $US97.07 a barrel on Monday. Brent North Sea crude for May rose 33 US cents to finish at $US110.02 a barrel on London's Intercontinental Exchange. The benchmark New York WTI futures contract had dived more than $US1.30 a barrel in early trade to $US95.92, but ended the session with just a small loss. Meanwhile, the closure of ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline in Arkansas following a rupture on Friday sparked fears that crude oil supply will back up in the US Midwest, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures. The back-up could exacerbate the glut at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for WTI crude oil futures in New York, he said. PRECIOUS METALS: Gold prices rose on Monday, as buyers stepped in when futures prices dropped to one-week lows, while silver hit a seven-month low after Chinese and US economic data underlined worries about demand. The most actively traded gold contract, for June delivery, rose $US5.20, or 0.3 per cent, to settle at $US1,600.90 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Trading volume was lower than normal, with London's gold trading hub closed along with other European markets for the Easter Monday holiday. Comex trading was closed Friday. Gold had settled at its lowest price in more than one week on Thursday. The retreat sparked an increase in physical buying, particularly after prices fell below $US1,600 an ounce, analysts with Barclays said in a note. Worries about demand from China helped drag silver prices to their lowest since mid-August. Silver for May delivery fell 1.3 per cent to settle at $US27.944 a troy ounce on Comex. BASE METALS: Base metals were mostly lower at the close of London Metal Exchange trading Thursday, weighed down by concerns over the health of the global economy and a lack of investor appetite ahead of the long Easter weekend. At the PM kerb close, LME three-month copper was down 0.9 per cent at $US7,539.50 a metric tonne in the last session before the Easter long weekend. Tin held up the best of the base metals, closing one per cent higher at $US23,225 a tonne. "The base metals complex came under pressure...with weaker Chinese equity markets and a bit of pre-holiday lethargy weighing on base metal prices," said Standard Bank analyst Leon Westgate. With an extra long Easter holiday this weekend, and with China on holiday on Thursday and Friday next week, it looks like a very slow start to the second quarter is on the cards. The London Metal Exchange was closed Friday and Monday for the long Easter weekend.