Oil Prices Eased Half a Dollar

World oil prices pulled back further from the symbolic $100 mark on Friday, trading below $97 in Asia.

In morning trade, New York's main contract, light sweet crude for January delivery, was 50 cents lower at $96.79 a barrel.

On Thursday in London, Brent North Sea crude for January delivery slipped 21 cents to $94.63 per barrel, after striking an all-time intra-day peak of $96.53 on Wednesday.