World oil prices dipped today on profit-taking but remained close to their highest levels for over nine months because of concern about global supplies, traders said.
In London, Brent fell 52 cents to $71.66 a barrel. On Monday the contract had reached $72.25 the highest point since August 2006.
This evening, New York's main oil contract slipped 37 cents to $68.72 per barrel in floor trading. On Monday it struck $69.15 - last seen on September 1.
The Nigerian government made several 11th-hour proposals to avert a crippling general strike slated to start Wednesday, partially meeting union demands, sources close to the negotiations said.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer and the world's sixth largest exporter, accounting for 2.6 million barrels a day, but a quarter of this has been lost due to unrest in the volatile oil-producing south. A general strike, meanwhile, would likely affect oil exports.
Other factors underpinning oil prices include concerns over the possibility of heightened tensions in the Middle East, continuing worries over the adequacy of US petrol supplies and recent indications that OPEC is unlikely to raise production ceilings in the near-term.
