The price of oil fell below $104 per barrel on Tuesday as traders await key data releases later in the week, including U.S. employment figures. Benchmark oil for September delivery was down 71 cents to $103.84 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 15 cents to close at $104.55 on Tuesday. Brent crude, the benchmark for international crudes, fell 25 cents to $107.20 on the ICE Futures exchange in London, according to a report of the Associated Press. In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange: - Wholesale gasoline fell 0.3 cent to $2.975 a gallon. - Heating oil fell 0.7 cent to $3.013 a gallon. - Natural gas fell 3.2 cents to $3.44 per 1,000 cubic feet.
