Traders work in the crude oil pit on the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange in New York
Traders work in the crude oil pit on the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange in New York January 2, 2008. Oil vaulted to a record $100 a barrel on Wednesday as violence in Nigeria, tight energy stockpiles and a weaker dollar triggered a surge of speculative buying, dealers said. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES)