World oil prices steadied today, as traders waited for this week's report on the state of energy reserves in the US.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, added just eight cents to $79.06 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for September eased one cent to $77.49 a barrel.
Oil was also little changed yesterday as investors had mulled expectations of an inventory decline in the US, amid easing concerns over a storm threat to drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The US government's Department of Energy will tomorrow publish its weekly report on American crude oil reserves for the week ending July 23.
