Energy Prices Trade Down

Futures prices for energy commodities on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell modestly Wednesday.

High-quality crude oil for June delivery was down 98 cents to settle at $71.90 a barrel, and natural gas fell 17.4 cents to $7.08 per million Btu.

Heating oil slipped 3 cents to $2.025 a gallon, and gasoline futures were flat to close at $2.1325 a gallon.

AAA reported that the national average retail price of gasoline Wednesday was $2.921 per gallon.