Crude futures dropped more than $1 a barrel Thursday as growing crude supplies and signs of slower economic growth led traders to test the $50 mark.
Light, sweet crude for the June contract rose 14 cents to $51.75 a barrel in afternoon trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after falling as low as $49.80 earlier in the day. On Wednesday, oil prices fell $2.59 to $51.61.