The price of oil fell to near $104 a barrel Monday, taking a negative cue from a sharp drop in the Nikkei stock index. West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for U.S. crude, was down 39 cents to $104.31 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 79 cents to close at $104.70 on Friday in New York. Brent crude, which is traded on the ICE Futures exchange in London, rose 22 cents to $107.39 a barrel, according to a report of the Associated Press. In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange: - Wholesale gasoline rose 0.4 cent to $3.007 a gallon. - Heating oil rose 1 cent to $3.023 a gallon. - Natural gas shed 8.4 cents to $3.471 per 1,000 cubic feet.
