NYMEX-Crude steady after fall on U.S. crude build

                                
 TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures stood little
changed on Thursday after slipping 2.3 percent a day earlier on a
larger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories.
                                
 FUNDAMENTALS
                                
 * NYMEX crude for January delivery <CLc1> was up 15 cents at
$76.75 a barrel by 2354 GMT, after settling down $1.77 at $76.60
on Wednesday.
                                
 * Wednesday's losses, which stemmed a two-day advance, came
after U.S. government data showed crude stocks rose 2.1 million
barrels last week, topping the forecast for a 400,000 barrel rise
in a Reuters poll. [EIA/S]
                                
 Gasoline futures slumped on Wednesday as the data from the
U.S. Energy Information Administration showed gasoline stocks
increased much more than forecast. Distillate stocks fell 1.2
million barrels, against the forecast for a 300,000-barrel drop.
                                
 * Russia set a fourth consecutive monthly record for crude
oil output in November to retain its position as the world's
largest producer. [ID:nGEE5B10AC]
                                
 * The head of the International Energy Agency said on
Wednesday that there is plenty of oil supplies in the market to
meet global oil demand. [ID:nWNA9258]
                                
 The global oil market is "very well supplied," said IEA's
Nobuo Tanaka at a briefing at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies think tank in Washington, D.C.
                                
 MARKETS NEWS
                                
 * The Nasdaq rose on Wednesday as strong online holiday sales
boosted shares of retailers, including Amazon.com <AMZN.O>, and
relieved some concerns about consumer spending.
                                
 The Dow edged lower as falling oil prices prompted investors
to sell energy shares, while the Standard & Poor's index finished
flat. [.N]
                                
 * The yen was on the defensive on Thursday on growing
investor speculation that Japan may take more quantitative easing
steps to get the economy out of deflation and as prospects of
currency intervention loomed large.
                                
 Talk of intervention got a boost after Japanese Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama said the yen's recent rise could not be
left alone. [USD/]
                                
 DATA/EVENTS
                                
 * The following data is expected on Thursday:
                                
 - 0858 GMT--Euro Zone Markit Services PMI/Nov
                                
 - 1000 GMT--Euro Zone GDP/Q3-Revised
                                
 - 1245 GMT--ECB Rate Decision/Dec
                                
 - 1330 GMT--U.S. Productivity/Q3-Revised
                                
 - 1330 GMT--U.S. Initial Jobless Benefit Claims/Weekly
                                
 - 1500 GMT--U.S. ISM Non-mfg (Service) Index/Nov
                                
 - No set time: U.S. ICSC Monthly Chain Stores Sales/Nov
                                
 RELATED NEWS
> US shares end mixed, gold and US dollar gain [MKTS/GLOB]
> Gold sets record despite strong dollar       [COM/WRAP]
                                
 PRICES
 Oil prices as of 2354 GMT          
 Contract Mnth    Price  Change  Day ago     pct     MA-20*
 NYMEX Contracts
 US Crude JAN0   $76.75   +0.15   -$1.77  -2.26%     $78.01
 Heat Oil JAN0   204.00   +0.36    -4.16  -2.00%     202.02
 RBOB     JAN0   199.89   +0.61    -4.95  -2.42%     197.82
 Natgas   JAN0   $4.554  +0.024  -$0.232  -4.87%     $4.606
 ICE Contracts
 Brent    JAN0       --   +0.00   -$1.47  -1.85%     $77.70
 Gasoil   DEC9       --   +0.00  -$16.00  -2.53%    $622.09
 Note: U.S. heating oil and RBOB gasoline contracts listed in
cents per gallon.
 * = 20-day moving average for continuation month.
 (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
 ((osamu.tsukimori@thomsonreuters.com ; +813 6441 1857; Reuters
Messaging: osamu.tsukimori.reuters.com@reuters.net))
 ((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to
news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))
                                
                   RECENT CRUDE OIL TRADES
                                
 Asia...[ACRU/T]      Europe...[CRU/T]    Americas...[CRU/TU]
                                
                    CRUDE OIL MARKET NEWS
                                
 Crude oil tenders in Asia.........[CRU/TENDA]
                                
 Crude oil supply outages in Asia............[CRU/OUT-ASIA-O]
                                
 Refinery outages in Asia.....[REF/OUT-ASIA-O]
                                
 Global arbitrage news and flows..[O/CRUDEARB]
                                
 W.African crude imports to Asia, monthly........[O/WAFRICA1]
                                
                 REFINERY MAINTENANCE DIARIES
                                
 Asia...[REF/A]     Middle East...[REF/ME]   Europe...[REF/E]
                                
                    NATIONAL CRUDE IMPORT DATA
                                
 Japan..............<METI/JP1>   China..............[O/CHINA1]
                                
 India..............[O/INDIA2]   S.Korea............[O/KOREA1]
                                
 Indonesia.......[O/INDO1-CRU]  
                                
                    CRUDE OIL INVENTORY DATA
                                
 Japan...[O/JAPAN1]     US...[EIA/S]     Europe...[O/EUROIL1]
                                
                 CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION/OILFIELD NEWS
                                
 OPEC output survey...[OPEC/O]   New Asian fields...[ASIA/NEW]
                                
 New Africa fields...[AFR/NEW]   New Europe fields..[NSEA/NEW]
                                
 New Americas fields..[AM/NEW]   New projects.....[ENERGY/NEW]
                                
                    CRUDE OIL MARKET REPORTS
                                
 Middle East...........[CRU/M]   Asia-Pacific........[CRU/AP]
                                
 West Africa.........[CRU/WAF]   North Sea............[CRU/E]
                                
 Asia outlook.......[ASIA/CRU]   Europe outlook.....[EUR/CRU]
                                
 Global futures report...[O/R]   Technicals report......[O/I]
                                
                         PRICES
                                
 For all Official Selling Prices.......[OSP/O]
                                
 For a POLL on oil prices.............[O/POLL]
                                
 NYMEX and ICE oil futures............<OILOIL>
                                
 TOCOM crude oil futures..............<0#JCO:>
                                
 Dubai, Oman swaps and spread...............<ASIA/SWAP/CRUDE>
                                
 Middle East physical crude diffs...............<CRUDE/ASIA2>
                                
 Australia physical crude, Tapis swaps..........<CRUDE/ASIA1>
                                
 Asia-Pacific physical crude.....<CRUDE/ASIA3>
                                
 All Asian crude oil differentials.<0#C-DIF-A>
                                
 All Asian crude oil outright prices...<0#C-A>