Crude oil prices on Monday fell to a five-month low in volatile trading, approaching $100 a barrel level before the meeting today of Opec, the oil exporting countries’ cartel, in Vienna.

The drop came as the dollar surged to its highest level against the euro since October 2007 at $1.4095 and in spite of concerns that Hurricane Ike, heading to the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico, would disrupt production.