FILE - In this Friday, May 1, 2009 file photo, operator Steve Pratt looks at a sample from offshore oil drilling platform 'Gail,' operated by Venoco, Inc., off the coast of California near Santa Barbara. Oil prices dropped to its lowest level in two months Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, as the dollar rose and government data showed that energy demand continues to slump.
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)