随着更多的石油公司说，席卷墨西哥湾的古斯塔夫飓风没有损坏它们的设施，石油价格连续第四天下跌。星期三在纽约市场的交易中，石油价格一度跌至每桶108美元以下，后来又有回升。一些经济学家说，投资者把注意力重新转到全球经济的状况以及石油需求的减少。
在美国政府宣布将从战略石油储备中释放25万桶原油，以弥补石油生产的损失以后，石油价格也下落。美国政府星期二说，位于墨西哥湾的炼油和输油设施还没有开始运作，但是一些公司说，可能最早于星期三让疏散撤开的员工返回工作地点。
Oil prices have fallen for a fourth consecutive day as more oil companies report Hurricane Gustav spared their facilities when it slammed into the Gulf of Mexico. The price of crude oil dipped below 108-dollars a barrel, before easing higher again during trading in New York today (Wednesday). Some economists say investors are shifting their attention back to the health of the global economy and a slowing demand for oil.
Oil prices also declined after the U.S. government announced it would release about 250-thousand barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help make up for lost production. The U.S. government said Tuesday that none of the Gulf’s refineries and pipelines had yet resumed pumping oil, but some companies said they were prepared to send evacuated employees back to work as early as today.