Crude oil for May delivery dropped slightly overnight in New York after rising sharply in the previous trading session to nearly $87 per barrel, UPI reported. The price of May delivery peaked in inter-session trading at $86.97 per barrel before settling down to $86.52. Strong economic data, including a rise in a key U.S. index of non-manufacturing business activity, have given evidence an economic recovery is for real and demand will increase. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, heating oil futures for May delivery lost 0.0037 cents overnight to $2.2638 per gallon. Reformulated gasoline blendstock dropped 0.0104 cents to $2.3398 per gallon. Henry Hub natural gas prices lost 0.014 cents to $4.263 per million British thermal units. At the pump, the national average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline rose to $2.83 per gallon Tuesday from Monday's $2.828, AAA said. -- SPA
