* ENI estimates Libyan output has fallen by 1.2 mln bpd
* IEA says less than 1 pct of global consumption affected
* Saudi Arabia in talks with European refiners on supplies
* U.S. data show lower-than-expected rise in US oil stocks
* Coming Up: U.S. preliminary Q4 GDP, 8:30 a.m. EST Friday
(Updates prices, adds White House comment, paragraphs 8 and
11)
NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Oil surged to 2-1/2-year highs
near $120 a barrel on Thursday as the revolt in Libya choked
exports, then eased as Saudi Arabia assured European refiners
the kingdom could step in to fill any supply shortfalls.
Brent crude jumped 7.5 percent as the revolt in Libya cut
off up to three quarters of the OPEC nation's 1.6 million
barrels per day of production, according to Italian oil company
ENI, a top player in Libya's oil sector. []
The International Energy Agency said, however, that the
loss could be smaller.
The Paris-based energy adviser to 28 industrialized nations
estimated that between 500,000 to 750,000 barrels per day of
crude oil -- less than 1 percent of global daily consumption --
have been lost due to the Libyan crisis. []
Oil markets, on edge that the unrest that has swept across
Northern Africa could spread to other oil-producing countries,
eased on news top OPEC exporter Saudi Arabia was in talks with
European refiners affected by the disruption. []
Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi launched a fierce
counter-attack, fighting gun battles with rebels who have
threatened the Libyan leader by seizing important towns close
to the capital and key Libyan oil and oil product terminals.
[]
"Saudi efforts to assuage supply concerns are definitely
weighing on prices and if Qaddafi's next move is out of the
country, I would expect more down side," said John Kilduff, a
partner at of Again Capital LLC.
Brent crude <LCOc1> rose $3.45 to $114.70 a barrel at 1:19
EST (1819 GMT), after hitting a session high of $119.79, the
highest since August 2008. U.S. crude rose <CLc1> $1.31 to
$99.41 a barrel, after touching $103.41, the highest since
September 2009.
The stronger gains in Brent pushed its premium to U.S. oil,
which has been weighed down by high inventories at the Cushing,
Oklahoma delivery point for the New York Mercantile Exchange's
U.S. oil contract, out by more than at dollar to over $14 a
barrel.
Crude found some support after the U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA) showed a lower-than-expected build in
domestic crude inventories and hefty drawdowns in gasoline and
distillate stocks last week. []
Prices also firmed after the White House said it was not
ruling anything out in its response to the Libyan government's
crackdown against a popular revolt, according to White House
spokesman Jay Carney. []
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Graphics on crude prices, volumes and outlook:
http://link.reuters.com/pab38r
http://link.reuters.com/pab38r
http://link.reuters.com/nab38r
US oil price rise graphic: http://link.reuters.com/byv28r
Unrest in MidEast, N. Africa: []
Analysis on impact on Libyan oil sector: []
Factbox on Libyan oil and gas: []
Interactive factbox http://link.reuters.com/puk87r
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting Matthew Robinson, Gene Ramos in New York;
Christopher Johnson, Nia Williams, Emma Farge, Claire Milhench
and Dmitry Zhdannikov in London; Editing by David Gregorio)
