Oil falls to below $99 as US dollar rallies

Oil prices fell below $99 a barrel today in Asia as crude became more expensive for investors with other currencies amid a US dollar rally.

Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 84 cents to $98.81 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract settled at $99.65 per barrel Friday, up 68 cents.

In London, Brent crude for June delivery was down 44 cents to $113.39 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Oil has retreated from a 30-month high near $115 at the beginning of the month as the dollar has strengthened.

"Crude oil continues to shadow the dollar to a large degree," Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report. "We still look for high negative correlation between the dollar and oil."

The euro fell to $1.4089 from $1.4110 late Friday.