A summary of trading in key commodities markets overseas:
ENERGY
World oil prices fell on the third day of a US government shutdown, amid rising concerns that the political budget deadlock will lead to a debt default this month.
New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in November, fell 79 US cents to close at $US103.31 a barrel.
The European benchmark, Brent North Sea crude for November, lost 19 US cents at $US109.00 a barrel in London trade.
Prospects for a swift resolution of the budget impasse in the world's largest crude-oil consumer remained dim Thursday. Democrats and Republicans showed no hint of readiness to approve a budget for 2014 fiscal year, which began on Tuesday.
PRECIOUS METALS
Gold ended lower, but futures pared earlier losses as weaker US economic data helped offset pressure from investors looking to lock in recent gains.
The most actively traded contract, for December delivery, on Thursday fell $US3.10, or 0.2 per cent, to settle at $US1,317.60 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Gold prices had pushed as low as $US1,302 an ounce intraday Thursday as some investors sold holdings to capture gains made the previous day.
But a weaker-than-expected reading of US services sector helped gold futures stage a rebound. The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index fell to 54.4 in September from 58.6 in August, missing forecasts of 57.0.
BASE METALS
Copper prices closed lower on the London Metal Exchange (LME), weighed by concerns over the outlook for US economic growth.
At the PM kerb close on Thursday, LME three-month copper was down 1.2 per cent at $US7,184 a metric ton.
Aluminium was 0.6 per cent lower at $US1,827 a ton.
Base metal trade was jittery on Thursday as the US federal-government shutdown entered its third day.