By Chris Oliver
HONG KONG (MarketWatch)-- Crude-oil futures nudged higher in East Asian trading hours Tuesday. Crude oil for February delivery CL2G -0.01% rose to $99.78 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up from $99.68 a day earlier. The move came as Syria's crude exports were reported down between 30% to 35% as a result of international sanctions in response to a government crackdown on political protesters, according to reports citing figures released over the weekend by Syria's oil minister.