Crude oil prices fluctuated in nervous conditions throughout the week,beginning with losses in line with New York on reports of abundant supplies and rumours,later denied by Saudi Arabia,that it had offered a discount of 50 cents per barrel on sales of oil to the United States. The unexpected departure of sheik Yamani and bearish oil stock figures from the United States caused North Sea brent prices to fall briefly to their lowest for three months at 13 dollars per barrel for December delivery but the market quickly recovered as it was thought that the new Saudi oil minister,Hisham Nazer would put more emphasis on boosting oil prices. His call for an urgent meeting of the pricing committee of the organization of petroleum exporting countries(OPEC) took prices back up to over 14.50 dollars, but resistance was in evidence at higher levels as the dollar strengthened.