Crude oil retreats on trade balance

Crude oil prices in New York retreated Thursday, hovering near $84 per barrel as a U.S. trade report showed a high deficit for August. The Commerce Department said the deficit was "virtually unchanged" from July, at $45.6 billion. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November delivery West Texas Intermediate crude oil shed $1.14 to reach $84.43 per barrel. Home heating oil gained 0.36 cents from a recent settlement to $2.975 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline added 0.53 cents to $2.7611 per gallon. Henry Hub natural gas prices added 1.1 cents to $3.542 per million British thermal units. At the gas pump, the national average price for unleaded gasoline added 2.1 cents to reach $3.426 per gallon, AAA said.