Oil prices slid this evening, extending last week's losses as financial markets reeled from the impact of fraud charges against Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs. US crude slumped $1.86 to $81.38 a barrel, while Brent crude shed $2.19 to $83.80.
Markets were also looking at how oil demand has been affected by the volcano ash cloud from Iceland, which has reduced the need for jet fuel but raised petrol usage, according to analysts.
The huge ash cloud of kept up its regime of chaos over Europe, forcing the cancellation of another 20,000 flights, though experts said the eruption in Iceland was losing power.
Oil prices had already fallen sharply last Friday, dampened by an unexpected fall in a US consumer sentiment and the fraud charges slapped on Goldman Sachs.
