Oil price falls below $64 on recession fears

Perth: Oil fell below $64 a barrel on Friday, as investors shrugged off a likely OPEC production cut to focus to signs of a prolonged global recession.

Asian stocks fell on Friday, led by a 7 per cent drop in Japan's Nikkei average and South Korean shares.

Bleak outlooks from world car makers and a barrage of job cuts by major US companies, including Chrysler and Xerox, have also deepened fears of an extended global recession.

US light crude for December delivery was down $3.23 at $64.61 a barrel. London Brent crude was down $3.41 at $62.51.

"If it wasn't for an expected OPEC cut, there is a strong possibility that oil prices would be falling a lot more considering how poorly Asian stocks are performing," said David Moore, a commodities strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

OPEC ministers said on Thursday they had agreed they must cut output, but had not decided by how much.