* U.S. crude, Brent correlation breaks down
* Dollar index at one-month highs, euro falls vs dollar
* Coming Up: U.S. December non-farm payrolls due 1330 GMT
* Technicals: U.S. crude could slip to $88 []
(Corrects Brent's high in para 3 to $96.17/bbl)
By Zaida Espana
LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose above
$89 a barrel on Friday, as an expected positive reading of U.S.
jobs data due later spurred hopes of a more robust recovery in
the world's top oil consumer.
The price of Brent and U.S. crude futures moved in opposite
directions by 1010 GMT, with U.S. crude futures up 66 cents to
$89.04 a barrel.
February Brent crude contracts <LCOc1> lost 53 cents to
$93.99 a barrel, having tested highs of $96.17 a barrel during a
rally this week on the back of index rebalancing.[]
"It seems to me that WTI was oversold compared to Brent and
that is why it is correcting," said Tony Nunan, a risk manager
with Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corp.
All eyes were on the December reading of U.S. non-farm
payrolls due at 1330 GMT. A surprise increase in U.S. private
sector job creation in December raised hopes of stronger
non-farm payrolls figures, helping lift revised forecasts to
175,000 from 140,000 earlier. []
A positive reading would indicate a more sustained recovery,
and drove the dollar index <.DXY> to one-month highs.
[]
"Non-farm payrolls (are) likely to steal the limelight,"
Danske Bank analysts wrote in a note, "as markets will be eager
to see signs of job creation in the US."
The euro slumped to a four-month low against the dollar on
Friday and looked set for more weakness if U.S. payrolls data
meets the recently raised forecasts, strengthening the case for
a sustainable economic recovery. []
The euro was also kept in check ahead of next week's bond
sales from indebted euro zone members led by Portugal.
[]
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Graphic previewing U.S. non-farm payrolls
http://r.reuters.com/quv94r
Graphic package on the Euro zone debt struggle
http://r.reuters.com/hyb65p
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
BRENT, U.S. CRUDE DISCONNECT
U.S. crude prices have had a turbulent first week of the
year, seesawing in a range of almost $5 between 27-month highs
of $92.58 a barrel on Monday and lows of $88.38 on Thursday.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Graphic of Brent/WTI spread:
http://link.reuters.com/taj25r
Graphic of Brent/WTI correlation:
http://link.reuters.com/vev25r
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
A jump last week in crude stored at the Cushing, Oklahoma
hub, the delivery point for WTI, caused the U.S. benchmark grade
to trade at a discount of around $6.50 a barrel on Thursday.
"The driving factor for this decline was once again concerns
about the storage situation at the delivery point in Cushing,
with the discount to ICE Brent widening," JBC Energy consultants
said in a note.
On the Brent front, the price strength, robust trading
volumes and market structure have helped to lure some of the big
investment money that has typically favoured U.S. oil futures.
[]
Thursday's Brent premium to U.S. crude was the widest level
since it hit $6.57 on May 13, 2010. If the premium pierces that
seven-month high, it would be the widest since Feb. 12, 2009,
when it rose above $10 on an intraday basis.
"We doubt that such a large spread will be sustainable,"
Credit Suisse analysts including Stefan Graber said. "With the
end of the winter season in February-March, energy prices may
face further downward pressure."
(Additional reporting by Alejandro Barbajosa and Florence
Tan in Singapore; editing by XX)
