The London market opened on the front foot as higher oil prices boosted commodity stocks.
The FTSE 100 Index lifted 43.1 points to 6179.6 after Brent crude jumped 2% to 40.22 US dollars a barrel, brightening prospects for world trade.
BP and Royal Dutch Shell lifted 7.8p to 347p and 26p to 1702p, respectively.
Heavyweight miners were also higher on the likelihood of livelier global trading, with Anglo American up 16p to 522.1p, Rio Tinto 61.5p higher at 1977.5p and BHP Billiton rising 20.7p to 748.2p.
Elsewhere, womenswear retailer Bonmarche said it is “cautious” about high street trading this year after colder weather hit the sales of new spring ranges.
The Wakefield-based firm said like-for-like sales edged up 0.4% in the 13 weeks to March 26, compared with a jump of 4.7% in the same period a year ago. Total sales lifted 5.2% in the period.
The group now says its profit will be at the lower end of its December guidance, which cut full-year pre-tax profit by as much as 20% to between £10.5 million and £12 million.
Shares slumped by almost 10%, or 18p to 170p.