Oil prices were below 98 dollars a barrel today in Asian markets amid mixed signs about the strength of US crude demand. Benchmark crude was down 1 cent at 97.60 dollars a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 87 cents to settle at 97.61 dollars yesterday. Brent crude was steady at 111.56 dollars a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.