Oil prices moved lower this evening on falling demand for crude in the US, the world's biggest consumer of energy, amid a global economic slowdown.
US crude dropped 19 cents to $105.54 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude also shed 19 cents to $102.26.
The market trimmed earlier losses as investors monitored the progress of a huge US rescue plan for the battered financial sector. Hopes for a deal were growing this evening.
Crude prices had ended slightly lower on Wednesday after the US government reported a sharp drop in consumption, stoking worries about energy demand.
Americans on average consumed 19.5 million barrels of oil a day over the past four weeks, down 5.3% from the same period a year ago, the Department of Energy said in a report.
