Oil prices eased in Asia on Friday as poor housing and employment data from the United States sparked concerns of weaker crude demand in the world's biggest economy, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, dropped 25 cents to $94.91 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for July delivery shed 27 cents to $103.51. "The market has taken fright at those worse-than-expected numbers," David Lennox, resource analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, told AFP.

World oil prices fell on Thursday as US demand remained weak despite a drop in inventories, analysts said. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in June shed 38 cents to $103.30 a barrel approaching midday in London. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for June, dropped 75 cents to $93.55 a barrel. "Prices have found themselves under pressure as a result of the weekly inventory report from the US Department of Energy," said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.

Oil was down in Asian trade Thursday as caution returned to the market following weak US production data, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, dropped 33 cents to $93.97 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for June delivery shed 16 cents to $103.52. "Disappointing industrial production figures raised concerns that the US economy is not doing as well as other data have been suggesting," Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, told AFP.

Oil prices recovered from sharp early losses to finish higher Wednesday after US stockpiles eased from record levels. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery, added a modest nine cents from Tuesday to finish at $94.30 a barrel. In London Brent North Sea crude for June gained $1.08 to $103.68 a barrel. WTI was down some $2 a barrel in early trade, and Brent $1.50, before the US Energy Information Administration in its weekly report on petroleum stockpiles reported a surprise fall in crude oil supplies.