Oil prices were modestly up on Thursday morning in Asia even after a surprise jump in crude inventories in the U.S. that saw prices fall from four-month highs in New York on Wednesday. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) reported a big build in crude oil inventories of 4.892 million barrels, far in excess of the forecasted draw of 2.088 million barrels. "Normally inventories of fuel would be heavily drawn upon, but the surge in COVID-19 case numbers has stymied the recovery," ANZ said in a note. Demand is usually at its peak during the U.S. summer driving season.