Crude oil prices ended lower once again on
On Wednesday, crude-oil futures for light sweet crude for February delivery closed at $77.62/barrel (lower by $1.4 or 1.8%). The February contract ended today. Crude ended last week lower by 5.7%. On a year to date basis till date, crude is lower by 3.9%.
Crude ended FY 2009 higher by 78%, the highest yearly gain since 1999. It reached a high of $82 earlier in October 2009 and hit a low of $33.98 on
In the currency market on Wednesday, the dollar index, which weighs the strength of dollar against the basket of six other currencies rose by almost 1.1%. The dollar strengthened on fears that
The Energy Department will report its weekly inventory report on crude and crude products tomorrow, a day later than normal, due to the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday. Market is expecting the report to show a build up of 2 million and 2.4 million barrels of crude and gasoline inventories respectively.
Yesterday, in the latest report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said that world oil demand is forecast to grow by 800,000 barrels a day this year to average 85.1 million barrels a day, representing no major change from last month's forecast.
Among other energy products on Wednesday, February gasoline ended lower by 0.9% at $2.039 a gallon. Heating oil for February delivery closed lower by 1.2% at $2.021.
Also on Wednesday, natural gas for February delivery sank 3.8 cents, or 0.7%, to $5.519 per million British thermal units.
At the MCX, crude oil for February delivery closed Rs 18 (0.5%) lower at Rs 3,592/barrel. Natural gas for January delivery closed lower by Rs 5.3 (2.04%) at Rs 254.1/mmbtu.