OIL SHEDS $0.61 IN SELL OFF

World oil markets dove on Thursday, apparently fueled by speculators' sell-off. Benchmark Brent blend futures dropped $0.61 cents to $20.02 a barrel in late trading after overnight U.S. data indicated slower than expected demand growth for gasoline in the world's biggest oil consuming nation. Weekly government data showed U.S. gasoline inventories rose in the week to August 20 when dealers were expecting a large decline.