Oil fell in Asian trade as investor worries over the potential threat posed by Hurricane Ida to petroleum installations in the Gulf of Mexico subsided, analysts said.
A firmer US currency, which makes dollar-priced crude more expensive for holders of foreign units, was also a factor in pushing oil futures lower, they said.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery fell 40 cents to USD 79.03 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for December delivery was off 37 cents to USD 77.40 a barrel.
"I don't think that (Hurricane) Ida is seen as anything other than a short-term disruption," said David Moore, a Sydney-based commodities strategist with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney.
"It's been a very quiet hurricane season," he added, with only two other hurricanes in the June 1 to November 30 Atlantic season.
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