Oil prices 'could hit $60' a Barrel

The cost of a barrel of oil could soon hit $60, economists warned today after yet another record was set in New York. The $55 benchmark for US light crude was breached, as prices rose 40c to $55.33. In London, Brent crude futures climbed to equal an all-time high of $50.40 a barrel. With prices now up around 75% in the past 12 months, economists said the rises were already impacting upon the economy and manufacturing, albeit to a lesser degree than during the 1970s. Motorists have also been suffering, with the AA reporting that the cost of unleaded petrol on UK forecourts now averages 83.66p a litre. Short supplies and growing demand - exacerbated by disruption of supply in Iraq and hurricanes in the Caribbean - have pushed the cost of crude steadily higher. [more ]