Oil slips under $96

Crude oil prices slid under $96 per barrel Monday morning after government data showed demand for oil in China fell in August to a 22-month low. Equity markets also provided for uncertainty with markets mostly flat in Asia and Europe.. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for October delivery lost 56 cents to $95.86 per barrel. Natural gas gained 4.4 cents to $2.726 per million British thermal units. Home heating oil added 0.38 cents to $3.1527 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline lost 1.08 cents to $3.0088 per gallon. At the pump, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.828 per gallon Monday, up from Sunday's $3.825, AAA reported.