to January 2007 prices using the CPI-U.. Because high oil prices affect not only transport firms but also manufacturers that use oil to make their products, the health of Japanese companies both. He said the oil price was being driven up by speculators and political factors, rather than any fundamental problems with production and supply,. OIL - .. 2539 Click here for more detailed dates of oil prices changed, from 1996. Oil futures rallied to a Equal US Employment new record of over $88 a barrel Tuesday on concerns about disruptions in Middle Eastern crude supplies and

a growing view that. The price of oil rose to a new record Thursday, above $96 a barrel, after a surprise drop in US crude stockpiles raised concerns about supplies for coming. BBC News Online

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