Crude oil prices fell slightly Friday as traders speculated that warm weather ahead might reduce fuel demand in the northeast US.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, oil futures for February delivery fell 13 cents to end at 45.43 dollars per barrel. Meanwhile, at London's International Petroleum Exchange the February Brent rose 33 cents to settle at 43.18 dollars.

Weather Derivatives Inc., an America's forecast group, said Friday that temperatures would surpass the seasonal average by 12.7 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) in the Northeast, where demand for heating fuel might be 37 percent below normal in the coming week. Warmer weather forecasts offset some impacts of output cuts from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

According to a Bloomberg's weekly survey, about 42 percent of respondents predicted oil prices would fall, while about 24 percent expected a rise, and 34 percent said prices would be flat.

Source: Xinhua