EIA: oil prices to average $51/bbl in 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects the price of oil to average $51 a barrel in 2009, the agency said in its short-term outlook released on Tuesday.

Winter heating oil prices will average $2.53 a gallon this winter, down 24 percent from last winter, according to the report.

The EIA also said it expected gasoline prices to average $2.03 a gallon and diesel prices to average $2.47 a gallon in 2009.

Henry Hub natural gas prices will average $6.25 per million cubic feet, down from $9.17 in 2008.

(Reporting by Rebekah Kebede)