Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) rode to the Footsie's rescue on Wednesday.
Oil prices picked up, lifting energy stocks with them, as the EIA reported a 3.4mln barrel decline in stockpiles last week.
This contradicted data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) that indicated oil stockpiles rose by 3.45 million barrels to record highs of 543.1 million in the week to May 6 .
The FTSE 100 index rallied to close at 6,162, up six points on the day. The FTSE Aim 100 rose 16 points to close at 3,407 while the broader-based FTSE Aim All-Share advanced three points to 727.
Small-cap African Potash Ltd (LON:AFPO) had a growth spurt, rising 22% to 0.55p. The shares have lost two thirds of their value over the last three weeks and bargain hunters have evidently decided enough is enough.
Another stock on the comeback trail was natural resources investment vehicle Opera Investments Plc (LON:OPRA).
It returned from suspension sharply lower on Monday after the proposed acquisition of SoloPower fell through, but the shares were up 21% to 8.75p today after natural resources investment company Metal Tiger PLC
(LON:MTR) emerged as a stakeholder, with a 3.48% holding.
A contract win for PipeHawk plc (LON:PIP) worth £400,000 saw the engineering group's shares advance 25% to 3.75p.
Atlas African Industries Limited (LON:AAI) was the second worst performer after the Ethiopian tax-man removed US$2.4mln from the bank account of Atlas's subsidiary, TEAP Glass.
The company's learn'd friends believe the removal was unlawful and Atlas said it would take all available steps to ensure that the company's funds are returned.
The shares shed 27% of their value on the news.
The top faller was MX Oil PLC (LON:MXO), down 35% to 0.54p as it dropped recently acquired Mexican assets and revealed its Nigerian oilfield sale had stalled.
The buyer of its stake in the Aje field, offshore Nigeria, had yet to make the first payment under the staged US$18mln transaction announced in February.
Elsewhere in the oil sector, Hague & London Oil PLC (LON:HNL) also copped it, falling 24% to 6.375p after it unveiled a proposed portfolio restructuring and a strategic repositioning towards lower risk opportunities while staying exposed to higher risk exploration.
Hague & London ended the Duyung farm-in agreement, offshore Indonesia, due to delayed approvals and approaching or missed deadlines for operations.