He loved working as an oil trader, leaving college to take up the job full time.

If an oil trader wants to think about risk, all he has to do is turn on the television.

Oil traders said these were the lowest levels in 14 months for the group's crude.

And it is often the case that "great" to an oil trader sounds terrible to everyone else.

That view strikes many oil traders as at odds with market reality.

And the oil traders and companies are certainly aware of the higher production.

The forces that are pushing up prices seem, to oil traders, to be worsening.

Price levels were not clear as buyers and sellers backed off from the market, oil traders said.

The coupons could be sold at a profit to oil traders.

Oil traders and diplomats say that arrangement would be more difficult to monitor.