Vienna - The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) dropped 1.21 dollars Tuesday, sliding below the 42-dollar mark, the Vienna-based cartel announced Wednesday.

One barrel (159 litres) of OPEC crude stood at 41.77 dollars Tuesday, compared with 42.98 dollars at the start of the week.

OPEC calculates an average basket price based on 12 important brands produced by its members. (dpa)