Crude oil prices ease slightly

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- The strengthening dollar sent crude oil prices skidding down $7.69 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday.

Oil prices jumped $5.96 per barrel Thursday, but the dollar's rise to $1.4774 against the euro and pushing to 110.07 yen triggered Friday's reversal.

Oil prices dropped back to $113.92 per barrel Friday. Heating oil prices fell 0.0451 cents to $3.086 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline prices fell 0.1814 cents to $2.8686 per gallon. Natural gas prices also fell, down 0.423 cents to $7.843 per million British thermal units.

The national average retail price of unleaded regular gasoline fell 0.01 cents from Thursday's price to $3.692 per gallon, the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report said.