NEW YORK, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices held above $97 per barrel Wednesday, as traders waited for word from the U.S. Federal Reserve on a possible policy shift.
The improving economy has sparked widespread debate over the possibility the Fed may choose to throttle back on its easy money policies.
Prices typically stall in times of uncertainty, as traders wait for a tangible clue on how to position their holdings. The Fed is scheduled to announce its monetary policy Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
West Texas Intermediate crude added 2 cents overnight to $97.24 per barrel.
Reformulated gasoline blendstock for January added 2.05 cents to $2.6642 a gallon.
January heating oil added 1.1 cents to settle at $2.9739 a gallon, while natural gas gained 2 cents to $4.31 per million British thermal units.
The national average price of unleaded regular gasoline dropped to $3.216 a gallon from Tuesday's $3.222 a gallon, the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report said.
