Oil prices again fell below 50 dollars a barrel.

Prices for U.S. WTI oil brand again fell below 50 dollars a barrel. In the system of electronic trading on the Nymex crude oil supply in May to 11:10 Moscow time cheaper by 81 cents to 49.52 dollars per barrel. At the same time, European Brent with delivery in June traded in the region of 52.55 dollars - a 80 cents lower than Friday, April 17.
According to the agency AFP, investors began to sell contracts for crude oil, responding to an increase in stocks in the United States against a background of low demand for hydrocarbons in a crisis.
Recall that oil prices are fluctuating around a mark of 50 dollars a barrel for several weeks. This is significantly higher than at the beginning of the year, when oil was estimated slightly higher than 40 dollars a barrel.
In 2008, oil prices reached a record 147 dollars a barrel. This occurred against the backdrop of increased consumption on the part of many countries in the world, and because of the increasing number of speculators in the market, which used the oil contracts as a way to diversify investment portfolios. In addition, the dollar in mid-2008 has fallen against major world currencies.
The financial crisis in the world led to the consumption of oil has fallen. After it began to decline and oil prices. Organization of the countries - exporters of oil, OPEC has reduced the quota for the extraction of hydrocarbons, but oil prices have recovered only partially.