11.   Goosing the market with controlled release of government oil stocks will catch some speculators short and restore market pressures, say some oil traders.

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

13.   He suggested that oil traders, seeing the approach of an election, might dismiss any action as a political ploy rather than a commitment to reverse oil prices.

14.   His work is all the more colorful because, for many oil traders, oil is almost an afterthought.

15.   In a separate scandal, the police arrested an oil trader who had strong influence in business and political circles.

16.   It says buyers who refuse will get no new contracts, but UN officials and oil traders believe Iraq may be bluffing.

17.   Last week, oil traders also were concerned about a buildup of Syrian and Iranian troops near the borders with northern Iraq.

18.   Now that OPEC has made public its ruminations, it will have to move fast to convince oil traders that it can halt the price slide.

19.   Oil traders are always wary about military offensives in the Middle East because the region accounts for about one-third of the world oil supply.

20.   Oil traders clearly thought differently.