Oil prices ended a slide on Friday as the market sought to balance weakening fuel demand in the world's top consumer, the United States, against lost supplies of gasoline and heating oil from U.S. and French refiners, Reuters reported. Washington's readiness to use emergency oil reserves this winter has helped drag prices $5 lower this week, although they are still 42 percent higher than the start of the year. U.S. crude settled up 48 cents at $61.84 a barrel after a five-day losing streak. Prices are now nearly 13 percent below their all-time high of $70.85 struck late August. London's Brent crude was up 84 cents at $59.21. Prices fell this week after U.S. data showed the world's top consumer was burning less gasoline and other fuels. "The realisation is coming that high prices have finally started to hurt demand. We're coming down to levels that don't look so overvalued," said a senior oil trader in London. "The price now is more like what it's worth." --more 2254 Local Time 1954 GMT
