Oil, metals prices see declines

Crude oil prices were lower on Friday on disappointing jobs data and the reopening of several Mexican ports after several days of bad weather.

West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery fell $1.33 to $97.85 per barrel near the end of floor trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Nymex February gasoline was down 3 cents to $2.51 per gallon while February heating oil was also 3 cents lower, to $2.69 per gallon but March natural gas added 10 cents to $7.80 per million British thermal units.

Gold prices were lower in New York on Friday on a lower US dollar and on profit-taking.

February gold dropped $3.40 to $865.70 per troy ounce while March silver fell 4 cents to $15.46 per troy ounce.

April platinum was down $4.70 to $1,547.10 per troy ounce and March palladium was $1.90 lower to $377.75 per troy ounce.

Among base metals, copper was 3 cents lower to $3.16 per pound in New York, while three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down $60 to $6,910 per tonne, or $3.13 per pound.

Grains prices were mixed.

March corn on the Chicago Board of Trade was up less than 1 cent to $4.66 per bushel but March CBOT soybeans dropped 5 cents to $12.63 per bushel and March wheat fell 13 cents to $9.31 per bushel.

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