Oil and oil service company stocks mounted a modest rebound at the open Wednesday, clawing their way back from the previous session's steep sell-off. Early trades carried the Amex Oil Index 0.6% higher to 880.4 points. The index fell 6.4% on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index was also moving slightly higher, up 0.3% at 119.9 points but the Amex Natural Gas Index was extending losses, down 1% at 357.6 points and adding to Tuesday's 7.8% drop. Crude was providing only minor support, with the March contract up 5 cents at $34.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
