Oil Prices Plunge to 5-Year Low

(AP) - Oil prices plummeted to a one-year low below $83 a barrel today in European trading as investor fears of a severe global economic downturn sparked a panicked sell-off. "The whole market has lost confidence in everything," said one commodities strategist. "Everyone is worried about global growth, and oil is the front line commodity for that. There's just a lot of panic and fear." More»

(NEWSER) - OPEC has approved a cut in output of 2.2 million barrels of crude a day, the largest reduction ever, MSNBC reports. The consortium believes that stabilizing prices now by decreasing supply will guard against a price spike when consumer confidence increases. OPEC’s monthly report predicts that demand will have fallen 700,000 barrels in 2008, and will decline by twice that amount in 2009. More»

(AP) - Oil prices dipped below $60 a barrel tonight for the first time in about a year and a half, as a growing number of economic reports point to a long and painful recession. Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell to $59.97 in New York trading, the lowest level since March 2007, before ticking back up to $60.27. More»

Observers call current market 'hysteria' — and 'bubble'

(NEWSER) - Crude-oil prices have doubled in recent months, a development not linked to fundamental supply and demand—but rather, observers tell Der Spiegel, to rampant speculation among investors looking for a stable buck. The prospect of recession would typically drive prices down, but analysts say a decade-old oil investment rush by pension funds and big banks has made the market volatile and distorted. More»

Slowing demand drops crude to $108

(AP) - Oil prices dipped to just above $108 a barrel today after Hurricane Gustav left oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico largely undamaged. By midday in Europe, light, sweet crude for October delivery was down $1.50 on the New York Mercantile Exchange as the dollar continued to strengthen and attention shifted to slowing global demand for crude. At one point yesterday, it fell as low as $105.46, its lowest level since April. More»