Crude oil futures slid after touching $50 a barrel Thursday as increasing crude supplies and signs of slower economy growth led traders to test the psychological mark.
US light, sweet oil futures rose 16 cents to end at $51.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, easing to $49.80 a barrel during the early trading.
In London Brent crude oil futures for June delivery climbed 11 cents to $52.40 a barrel in late trading on the International Petroleum Exchange.
A US government report triggered Thursday's decline as the Commerce Department said the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the first quarter due to weaker consumer and business spending.
Another factor that weighed on the oil prices was the Bush-Saudi meeting. The meeting was seen as a signal that both sides recognized that current high prices needed to be addressed.
