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Why Oil Prices Slumped to 2013 Low

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Published: Tuesday, 26 Feb 2013 | 2:48 PM ET
Sharon Epperson By:

CNBC Senior Commodities Correspondent & Personal Finance Correspondent

Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images
An employee walks past a conveyor belt carrying barrels at a Royal Dutch Shell processing plant.

U.S. oil prices closed at the lowest level of 2013, after falling below $92 a barrel intraday Tuesday.

Brent crude is down nearly $2, trading below $113 a barrel, poised for the lowest settlement price since Jan. 29.

(Read More: US Manufacturing to Take Off on Cheap Energy: Pickens)

Here's what traders say is contributing to the selloff:

Commodities Tomorrow: Oil Outlook
With U.S. oil prices at the lowest levels of the year, traders are looking ahead to the U.S. Energy Department's weekly gauge of oil inventories on Wednesday. CNBC's Sharon Epperson reports that analysts are expecting crude supplies to have risen by 2.6 million barrels in the past week.
  • Italy's election stalemate has escalated worries over the eurozone debt crisis and fuel demand
  • Iran's talks with Western nations over its nuclear program have reduced the geopolitical risk premium in the oil markets
  • Refineries resuming operations after planned maintenance or shutdowns has caused a big slide in refined fuels, dragging down overall oil market.

Gasoline futures are down 2.5 percent, also at their lowest levels in a month. Prices were pressured after Motiva Enterprises announced earlier Tuesday it is restarting operations at its gasoline-making unit in Port Arthur, TX. Motiva is joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco.

(Read More: Pro: Why It's Time to Get Into Nat Gas)

—By CNBC's Sharon Epperson; Follow her on Twitter: @sharon_epperson

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U.S. oil prices closed at the lowest level of 2013, after falling below $92 a barrel intraday Tuesday. Here's what traders say is contributing to the selloff:
  Price   Change %Change
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