Brent crude oil falls to 4-year low of $81.23/bbl

Brent crude oil futures fell by more than USD 1 today to a four-year low of USD 81.23 a barrel, as a strong dollar and robust production from US shale oil fields weighed on prices.

The US dollar hit a 7-year high against the yen and was up 0.2 percent on the day against a basket of currencies.

Production from shale oil fields in the United States showed no signs of slowing despite falling prices, the Energy Information Administration said in a forecast on Monday.

US crude futures fell by 98 cents to an intraday low of USD 76.42 a barrel.