Oil's slide continues, hits 6-week low below $92

[September 20, 2012]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Oil prices fell on Wednesday for the third day in a row as traders realized that a recent run-up to $100 may have been overdone.

Oil ended at $91.98 on Wednesday, dropping $3.31, or 3.5 percent. That was its lowest close since Aug. 3. Oil has fallen 7 percent this week.

Several things have been pushing prices down. Analysts said traders are taking profits after oil got above $100 per barrel on Friday for the first time since May. And there have more signs this week that the global economy is slowing down, which tends to push oil prices lower because people and businesses use less energy.

Also, crude inventories rose three times more than analysts had expected last week. Crude supplies grew by 8.5 million barrels to 367.6 million barrels. That's 8.4 percent higher than at the same time last year, according to the Energy Information Administration's weekly report.

Analysts expected a rise of 2.5 million barrels, according to Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

There were also reports that Saudi Arabia is keeping production high to drive oil prices lower.

Oil's decline came despite some news that might have pushed prices higher. The Bank of Japan said on Wednesday that it would buy more government bonds, which is intended to boost Japan's economy. And ongoing tensions in the Middle East have tended to drive prices higher.

"Yet we continue to fall," said Addison Armstrong, senior director for market research at Tradition Energy. "I think that has accelerated some profit-taking. After all, crude did have a pretty good run from $86 up to $100."

Brent crude traded on the ICE Futures exchange in London fell $3.84, or 3.4 percent, to $108.19 per barrel.

Traders were also keeping their eyes on oil supplies as U.S. Gulf Coast refineries returned to production after shutting down due to Hurricane Isaac.

"We're getting back a few more refineries post (Hurricane Isaac), but on the flip side a few refineries had some restart issues and a few are headed into maintenance," said Carl Larry of Oil Outlooks and Opinions in a newsletter.

Regular gasoline at the pump fell a half a penny to an average of $3.854 per gallon.

In other futures trading in New York:

• Wholesale gasoline fell 7 cents $2.829 per gallon.

• Heating oil slipped 8.3 cents to $3.044 per gallon.

• Natural gas fell a penny to $2.762 per 1,000 cubic feet.

[Associated Press; By JOSHUA FREED]

Associated Press writers Pablo Gorondi in Budapest and Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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