London's premier share index managed to maintain a positive finish after a good start on Wall Street and upbeat UK manufacturing figures along with a surging oil price, although FTSE AIM 100 finished flat.
Brent crude is up over US$51 a barrel at the time of writing, 1.59% higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial index stands at 17,992 - up over 54 points.
Big miners were doing well on the back of firmer metals prices, with Anglo American (LON:AAL) top dog, up 4.81% to 697.5p. Silver giant Fresnillo (LON:FRES) also rose over 4%.
FTSE100 closed over 16 points to the good, at 6,301. FTSE AIM100 was flat at 3,306.
FTSE AIM ALL- share added just 0.03% to 744.640.
Top London riser was the junior Oilex Ltd (LON:OEX), which soared almost 53% to 0.65p on news that the India-focused gas junior had settled a legal dispute with former funding partner Zeta Resources.
Earlier, the price of a barrel of Brent crude rose 1.5% to USS$52.25, the first time in about eight months it has hit that level, ahead of data on US stockpiles
UK manufacturing and industrial production figures were both forecast to fall to 0.0% for April, but the former hit 2.3% and the latter reached 2%, above a four-and-a-half-year high for each.
Horizonte Minerals Plc (LON:HZM, TSX:HZM) secured a preliminary environmental licence for a nickel mine and beneficiation plant at Araguaia in Brazil. Its shares built on earlier gains, racing 17.65% to 2.5p.
But Croma Security Solutions Group PLC (LON:CSSG) fell over 14% to 37.5p after it overstated pre-tax profit last year and in the first six months of this year due to an administrative error.
Meanwhile, online fashion retailer Koovs PLC (LON:KOOV) was down 1.55% to 47.5p as it confirmed a strategic investment in the company of £3mln before costs from HT Media Limited through a share issue.
Ambrian PLC (LON:AMBR) backtracked 25% to 2.63p after the Mozambique cement maker fell into the red and said it was facing competition and an uncertain economy.
Elsewhere, Berkeley Energia Limited (LON:BKY) shares eased 2.94% to 33p each as it said it had completed its previously announced financing with Resource Capital Funds (RCF).
The equity financing saw the group issue US$5 million worth of shares at 32 pence a pop - 15% more than the 30-day average price, which the firm said, highlighted the strength of the Salamanca uranium project in Spain and its robust economics even at current low uranium prices.
Managing Director Paul Atherley said: "The funding allows us to undertake the initial infrastructure development ahead of the commencement of main construction and financing later in the year.
"In addition it has allowed us to recommence drilling at a number of the previously identified high potential exploration targets, including extensions to the Zona 7 deposit to the south and at depth.
Results of optimization studies are expected to demonstrate the project's robust economics even at the current low uranium prices, it added.