Oil Ends Down at $110.11 on Saudi Supply Talk

Oil slipped from record highs as top exporter Saudi Arabia insisted markets were amply supplied despite falling US inventories.

U.S. light, sweet crude slipped 76 cents Thursday, to close Nymex trade at $110.11.

London Brent crude fell 2 cents to trade at $104.45 a barrel, after hitting an all-time high of $109.98 earlier.

Ali al-Naimi, oil minister for top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia, said supplies were adequate and record prices were not due to a lack of oil, adding the Kingdom did not plan to change current output.

"I am not going to pull back. I'm not going to dump crude on the market," Naimi told reporters at a conference in Paris.

"In my perspective, the oil market is well-supplied. The price is not at that level because of any shortage in supply," he added.

Oil shot to fresh peaks on Wednesday after government data showed a surprise drop in crude oil and fuel supplies.

Consumer nations have repeatedly asked OPEC producers to increase production to help ease the sting of rising prices.

OPEC ministers will attend an industry gathering in Rome later this month, but are not expected to call a meeting there to review output policy. Members of the cartel argue that speculators are driving up prices, and say an extraordinary meeting before the scheduled September meeting is not needed.

"There is no reason to have a meeting because the stock is building up and the market is well-balanced, but of course things can change," a Gulf source told Reuters Thursday.

Oil also has found support from the slumping US dollar, which touched a record low against the euro Thursday before paring losses when European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet did not drastically change his growth and inflation views for the euro zone.

A weak greenback tends to boost prices for dollar-denominated commodities by increasing non-U.S. spending power and drawing investors seeking an inflation hedge.

Oil also found strength earlier Thursday after traders said shipments of Nigerian Qua Iboe crude would be delayed for a second month.

China also revised up its 2007 GDP growth by 0.5 percent points to 11.9 percent, supporting expectations the giant energy consumer's oil demand would not be hit by the global credit crisis that has hit U.S. fuel use.