Crude oil prices fall slightly

NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices fell slightly on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday following an OPEC request to have Russia and others join their ranks.

Chakib Khelil, president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, urged Russia, Norway and Mexico to join the group or cut production voluntarily, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

"What we really want is for these countries to become members of OPEC," Khelil said.

Crude oil prices fell 19 cents to $46.77 per barrel. Heating oil prices fell slightly, down 0.0022 cents to $1.581 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline fell 0.0278 cents to $1.0305 per gallon. Natural gas prices fell 0.049 cents to $6.375 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline fell for the 76th straight day, falling 0.009 cents to $1.803 a gallon, AAA said.