West Texas
Intermediate dropped a second day as
Futures
fell as much as 1 percent and are headed for a second weekly decline. Libyan
output yesterday was more than five times higher than earlier this month,
according to its oil ministry.
Libyan oil
output is set to increase to 800,000 barrels a day, Ibrahim Al Awami, director
of measurement at the oil ministry, said by phone from
Oil prices
will drop further next week after a U.S.-Russian accord reduced the risk of an
American attack on
WTI crude
for October delivery, which expires today, fell 69 cents, or 0.6 percent, to
$105.70 a barrel at 11:21 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices are
down 2.3 percent this week. The more-actively traded November contract dropped
47 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $105.39. The volume of all futures traded was
about 19 percent below the 100-day average.
Brent oil
for November settlement rose 46 cents, 0.4 percent, to $109.22 a barrel on the
London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Futures are down 3.2 percent this
week. Volume was 24 percent lower than the 100-day average. The European
benchmark traded at a $3.99 premium to WTI, up from $2.90 at yesterday’s close.