Crude futures weakened Friday with market players using the strengthening
US dollar as a reason to lighten positions, traders said.

At 11:25 GMT January ICE Brent fell 39 cents to $94.11/barrel while the
January NYMEX WTI contract lost 89 cents to trade at $96.40/b. The disparity
between the difference in price changes of Brent and WTI comes due to NYMEX
using Wednesday's settlement price for Thursday as the US was celebrating its
Thanksgiving holiday yesterday.

"Nothing is really happening so people are using the stronger dollar as a
reason to sell," a London-based trader said.

After trading at record highs against the dollar, the euro lost around 2
cents in value as results from a survey showed that business activity in the
eurozone slowed to the lowest level in 27 months.

First results for NTC Research's survey of business leaders fell to 53.8
points in November, down from 54.7 points in October, touching the lowest
level since August 2005.

The pound also lost out to the greenback as the US dollar index recovered
on the back of the potential eurozone economic slowdown.

Trading volumes have been generally light, sources said, as the US
Thanksgiving holiday severely reduced market participation on Thursday, when
the NYMEX open outcry floor was closed. Trading in WTI was available on the
CME Globex electronic platform.

Traders also expect thin volumes to go through Friday as the NYMEX floor
will close an hour earlier at 18:30 GMT.

ICE gasoil futures lost $5/mt to trade at $843.75/mt. NYMEX products also
weakened with December heating oil off 1 cent to $2.6774/gallon and the RBOB
contract fell to $2.4165/gal, off 2.06 cents.

--Jean-Luc Amos, jean-luc_amos@platts.com