Crude oil prices slide early NEW YORK, April 18 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices slipped under $104 per barrel Wednesday in New York as traders waited for an afternoon report on U.S. stockpiles. Anticipation of increased supplies weighed on pricing. West Texas Intermediate crude oil for May delivery lost 63 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to $103.57 per barrel. Home heating oil prices shed 1.69 cent to $3.1097 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline lost 4.74 cents to $3.1278 per gallon. Natural gas prices added 1.3 cents to $1.964 per million British thermal units. At the pump, the national average price of unleaded gasoline dropped to $3.899 per gallon Wednesday from Tuesday's $3.904, AAA said.