Crude prices fell on Friday on weak confidence as European debt worries and China's economic slowdown weighed, but strong U.S. consumer confidence limited the losses. Crude prices still posted another weekly loss.

Greece has struggled to form a new government since the May 6 elections. Investors feared it could force another round of vote. Meanwhile, Spain said it would force lenders to raise provisions against real estate holdings after it took over its fourth largest lender this week. Uncertainties of euro zone's debt problems kept weighing on the crude markets, prompting declines.

Besides, China's data showed that the industrial production grew at its slowest pace since 2009. The data followed a disappointing trade report released on Thursday, causing worries about crude demand in the world's second largest oil consumer.

And the pressure from OPEC's increasing output and the consecutive seventh weekly sharp gains in U.S. crude inventories lingered.

But according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey, U.S. consumer sentiment for May rose sharply to its highest level in more than four years. The report boosted stocks market which was earlier pressured by JP Morgan's surprising losses and also limited oil's declines.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery slipped 95 cents, or 0.98 percent to settle at 96.13 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For this week, it dropped 2.36 dollars, or 2. 40 percent.

In London, Brent crude for June delivery also declined slightly and last traded around 112 dollars a barrel, pointing to a weekly loss.

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