(Close): The FTSE 100 closed at 6912.66, climbing 0.34% on the day and approaching a 15-year high.
Gains were led by miner Glencore which closed 3% higher at 292.1p.
Financial services firm Standard Life rose 2.7% to 419.6p after posting its annual operating profit figures earlier in the day.
International Consolidated Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia, closed 2.3% down on the day, at 551p.
Brent crude inched up 0.1% closing at $60.24 a barrel, but West Texas crude was 0.1% lower at $51.38 a barrel.
On the currency markets, the pound closed down 0.27% against the dollar at $1.5373 and fell 0.23% against the euro to €1.3530.
