Traders bargain in the oil pit at the New York Mercantile Exchange on October 8, 2004 as oil prices held near record highs even though oil unions in OPEC member Nigeria said a two-day wildcat strike would pass without any impact on exports. In morning trading U.S. light crude was up 3 cents at $52.70 a barrel, after touching $53 on Thursday, the third day in a row prices set new highs. REUTERS/Peter Morgan PM