Oil prices extended a week-long slide on Thursday, briefly tumbling below  a barrel for the first time in two weeks amid growing concerns an economic slowdown in top consumer the United States would cut global energy demand. US crude settled down 70 cents to ,84 a barrel after falling as low as ,65 earlier in the session
		
	 
	
		
			
				
					No image available				
			
			
			 / 29 January 2008
			
		
		Opec is widely expected to resist consumer calls for more oil when it meets on Friday, worried by a slowing United States economy and the onset of seasonally lower demand in the spring. Oil has fallen to around  a barrel from a record ,09 on January 3, easing pressure on Opec to pump more.
		
	 
	
		
			
				
					No image available				
			
			
			 / 6 November 2007
			
		
		Oil leapt more than  a barrel to a new record high of ,44 on Tuesday, as a weak dollar and tight fuel stocks prompted buying by speculators. Investors, wary of global equity markets where the full impact of the credit crunch has yet to become clear, see oil as a good bet.