Oil falls to near US$102 amid US government shutdown

Source: Agencies | October 2, 2013, Wednesday |

Online Edition

The price of oil slipped to near US$102 a barrel yesterday after parts of the US government were ordered to shut down because of a budget impasse in Washington.

Benchmark oil for November delivery fell 29 cents to close at US$102.04 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark used to price imported crude used by many US refineries, fell 43 cents to close at US$107.94 in London.

Relatively weak oil demand in the US could weaken further if the shutdown curbs economic growth and continues to stop 800,000 federal workers from driving to work, according to Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group.

"A prolonged stalemate could slow the economy and US oil demand," Flynn wrote in a report yesterday.

Investors will begin monitoring fresh information on US stockpiles of crude and fuels today when the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration issues its weekly report. The EIA says it will continue to operate despite the shutdown for several more days.

Data for the week ending Sept. 27 is expected to show a build of 2.4 million barrels in crude oil stocks and a draw of 1.4 million barrels in gasoline stocks, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

In other energy futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

— Wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to close at US$2.61 per gallon.

— Natural gas rose 5 cents to close at US$3.61 per 1,000 cubic feet.

— Heating oil fell 1 cent to close at US$2.96 per gallon.

Energy

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Oil falls to near US$102 amid US government shutdown

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