Crude oil prices gain slightly Friday

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices held relatively stable Friday, gaining 35 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to $106.65 per barrel.

The volatile commodity dropped $3.05 per barrel Thursday, as analysts predict oil will soon fall to less than $100 per barrel.

Heating oil prices fell slightly, down 0.0262 cents to $2.99 per gallon. Reformulated gasoline prices fell 0.0251 cents to $2.6999 per gallon, while natural gas prices rose slightly, up 0.109 cents to $7.46 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, U.S. motorists were paying an average of $3.674 for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline, down slightly from Thursday's $3.678, the AAA said. Gasoline prices have fallen from a peak of $4.114 on July 17 but remain well above the price of $2.807 per gallon from a year ago.