Oil Prices Fall on Bloated U.S. Fuel Inventories, Stalling China Demand

Oil prices slid on Wednesday to extend falls from the previous session, as a big increase in U.S. crude inventories and a slump in Chinese demand implied that global oil markets remain oversupplied despite OPEC-led efforts to cut output. International Brent crude futures were trading at $54.81 per barrel at 1257 GMT, down 24 cents from their previous close.