Crude futures settle lower
Oil prices fell on Friday.
The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery lost 10 cents, or 0.17 percent, to settle at 57.32 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery dropped 10 cents, or 0.16 percent, to settle at 60.75 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.
Crude futures settle lower
Venezuela’s government said on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a national emergency after explosions were heard in the country’s capital Caracas.
Several explosions rattled Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, with air raid sirens sounding across the city.
Social media footage from the capital showed several helicopters flying at low altitude, widespread electricity blackouts in some districts, and residents gathering on the streets to check the situation.
Witnesses said power outages struck southern neighborhoods near a military base, while smoke was visible in the air and aircraft could be heard overhead.
Local media also reported explosions at a military base in Maracaibo, the country’s second largest city, in the northern state of La Guaira, and at an airport in Miranda state, with air raid warnings activated in multiple locations.
Venezuela declares national emergency following explosions
