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| The international crude oil market continued to rule steady during the past week despite some anxiety over Hurricane Claudette hitting a key refining centre in the USA and disrupting production and supplies of petroleum products. |
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| However, the market heaved a sigh of relief today when the hurricane hit land on the Texas coast and bypassed the refining centre before losing strength to become a tropical storm. |
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| The offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, which had been cut by a little over 20 per cent as Claudette reached hurricane force, is expected to return to normal soon as oil workers have returned to rigs and platforms. |
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| In India, another fortnight passed without the oil companies revising the prices of petrol and diesel. In case the international prices of crude oil remain steady, the domestic consumer of auto fuels can look forward to a prolonged period of price stability. |
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| The international benchmark Brent (dated) crude oil, which was hovering around $ 28.03 a barrel on July 9, moved up to $ 29.40 a barrel on July 11, softened to $ 28.61 a barrel on July 15. |
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| Jet fuel (Singapore), which was being quoted at $ 28.80 a barrel on July 9, went up to touch $ 29.50 a barrel on July 11, and moved down to $ 29.30 a barrel on July 15. |
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| Prices of 5 per cent sulphur diesel (Singapore), which were ruling at $ 28.30 a barrel on July 9, hardened to $ 28.98 a barrel on July 11, and further moved up to $ 29.05 a barrel on July 15. |
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| Naphtha (Singapore) prices, which were ruling at $ 27.98 a barrel on July 9, went up to touch $ 28.63 a barrel on July 11, and further hardened to $ 28.98 a barrel on July 15. |
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| Unleaded petrol (fob Singapore), which was being quoted at $ 33.33 a barrel on July 9, hardened to $ 34.05 a barrel on July 11, and moved up to $ 34.10 a barrel on July 15. |
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