LONDON – World oil prices fell sharply on Friday, pressured by energy demand concerns, weak US economic data and a strengthening US dollar in pre-weekend trade, analysts said.

New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, slid 1.43 dollars to US$84.08 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for June was down US$1.06 at US$86.53 per barrel. The May contract had expired Thursday after hitting US$87.58 — a level last seen on October 7, 2008.

“The price of oil pulled back (on Friday) as concerns surrounding demand reared its head once again,” said analysts at trading house ODL Markets in a research note to clients.

Crude futures had ended mixed on Thursday after the prior day’s strong rally as traders digested a fresh batch of economic data in the United States, the world’s biggest energy consuming nation followed by number two China.

Official data showed Thursday that the US saw new claims for unemployment insurance benefits unexpectedly rose last week.

Initial jobless claims totalled a seasonally adjusted 484,000 in the week ending April 10, surprising most analysts who had forecast new claims would fall by 440,000.

“The surprisingly weak initial jobless claims furthered the school of thought that we still need to remain cautious about the strength, and indeed the validity, of the recent (oil price) gains,” added ODL analysts.

The euro, meanwhile, extended recent losses against the dollar on Friday on intensifying worries over Greece’s debt problems as the Greek prime minister set the stage for a request for emergency loans, analysts said.