On Wednesday, US oil prices jumped to five-month highs triggered by a US pipeline stake sale that traders surmise could potentially reduce transport blockages and boost demand for US and Canadian crude.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, closed at $US102.59 a barrel, up by a hefty $US3.22 from Tuesday's closing session.

It was the opposite, however, for Brent crude oil.

Brent North Sea crude for December fell 30 US cents to settle at $US111.88 a barrel in London.

As expected, prices of precious gold fell as the US dollar strengthened. Slackening US consumer prices and disagreement between France and Germany questioning if the European Central Bank (ECB) should extend more muscle and assistance to stop the region's debt crisis likewise triggered the yellow metal to slide.

Spot gold crashed 0.6 per cent at $US1,771.20 an ounce by 12.31pm EDT (0431 Thursday AEDT).

France, facing growing borrowing costs as its "AAA" credit rating was at risk, seemed to appeal for stronger and decisive ECB action, but Germany disagreed with the notion.

US gold futures for December delivery slid $US10 at $US1,772.20 an ounce.

Silver collapsed 1.7 per cent to $US33.92 an ounce.

Meanwhile, prices of base metal copper remained flat even as the euro made some losses against the dollar, however, concerns over the debt crisis in the Eurozone, along with its possible implications on the region's growth, could trigger movements in the coming days.

Three month copper futures on the London Metal Exchange (LME) closed at $US7,730 a tonne, up from Tuesday's close at $US7,680 a tonne.

It has slipped about three per cent this month and lost a quarter of its value since reaching record highs of $US10,190 in February this year.

Other metals such as zinc locked at $US1,960 from Tuesday's close of $US1,908, lead closed at $US2,030 from $US2,006, aluminium at $US2,157 a tonne from $US2,118, nickel at $US18,140 from $US17,550, and tin at $US21,700 from $US21,150 on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS) said copper surplus in the global market reached 236,800 tonnes in January to September versus the 18,200 tonnes surplus in the whole of last year.