On major trade floors prices of the closest oil futures increased by 3.85% - 4.72%

/IRBIS, Dinara Mukasheva, February 20, 08/ - By results of trades on February 19 of the current year: 0. on NYMEX (New York) price for Light Sweet Crude Oil blend with delivery in March of 2008 increased by 4.72% to $100.01 per barrel; 1. on ICE (London) price of April futures for Brent Forties Oseburg oil increased by 3.85% to $98.56 per barrel; On Tuesday the price for oil had set the new historical maximum, which was caused by the complex of complementary factors. One of the main reasons of sudden growth of prices had become the expectations of traders of decision' acceptance by OOEC about reduction of volumes of extraction of "black gold" on the future session (March 5, 2008). Majority of members of cartel are inclined to support high prices for oil - as it was informed earlier, lower limit of price range was increased to $80 per barrel. On the eve of beginning of summer season, when demand for oil is falling, ministers of OOEC fear that preservation of current volumes of extraction will lead to bound of commodity reserves in countries-consumers. Representatives of cartel stressed, that will strive to adequate decrease of market, and to suppressing of sudden decrease of price for oil. The other factor of speculative increase of oil quotations had become the message about explosion and fire on oil processing plant of company Alon USA in Big Spring city of Texas. Total processing power of plant makes about 70 th. barrels of oil per day. For removal of consequences of accident and launch of OPP more than 2 months are needed, as the representatives of company announced. Also its role had played the fall of dollar rate in relation to main currencies. Index Dollar Index, estimating the cost of American dollar in relation to basket of 6 main currencies, on Tuesday decreased by 0.4% to 75.945. Data of the exchanges, published in various information systems, were used here. [2008-02-20]