NEW YORK, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- New York crude oil prices slipped Wednesday after government data showed distillate stockpiles fell less than analysts had expected.
Light, sweet crude for March delivery lost $1.06 or 1.79 percent to settle at $58 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The weekly U.S. Department of Energy supply report showed distillate stockpiles fell 3 million barrels. Analysts had expected a 4 million to 5 million-barrel draw.
In addition, forecasts for warmer winter in the U.S. Northeast led to speculation that heating oil demand would fall.
Natural gas for March delivery fell 13 cents or 1.71 percent to $7.24 per 1,000 cubic feet.
March heating oil fell nearly 5.5 cents to settle at $1.6383 a gallon.
March reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygen blending inched up, settling at $1.6162 a gallon, up less than a penny.
AAA said Wednesday the average U.S. retail regular unleaded gasoline price was $2.234 a gallon, up 0.7 cents from Tuesday's $2.227 a gallon.
