Crude oil has reached a critical technical level, which is likely to test the resolve of the bulls to push prices higher.
The bulls have a favorable tailwind with production outages reducing the supply glut. Till about two weeks ago, the drop in the US dollar was also supportive of the crude oil prices, but since then, the dollar has recovered, putting pressure on the crude oil prices.
http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/oil-price/how-u-s-dollar-influences