Crude oil prices fell Thursday as the US dollar strengthened and on declines in global equities markets.December contracts for West Texas Intermediate crude were down $2.12 to $77.46 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange while, with December contracts expiring at the end of floor trade on Friday, January WTI contracts dropped $2.05 to $78.05 per barrel on Nymex.
January Brent crude fell $2.29 to $77.18 per barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London.
Nymex December gasoline futures were down 4 cents to $1.97 per gallon on the session, while January heating oil dropped 5 cents to $2.03 per gallon but January natural gas futures added 6 cents to $4.72 per million British thermal despite a new report from the US Energy Information Administration that US natural gas inventories rose to another new record last week.
December gold added $1 to $1,142.20 per troy ounce in New York trade Thursday after going lower earlier as the US dollar strengthened.
December silver was also higher at the close of floor trade in New York after declining during the morning session, adding 5 cents to $18.46 per troy ounce, while January platinum fell $8.10 to $1,443.90 per troy ounce.
Among base metals, copper prices were lower as March contracts in New York dropped 3 cents to $3.11 per pound while three-month contracts on the London Metal Exchange fell $70 to $6,810 per tonne, while most other base metals also saw prices fall in London
