* OPEC may consider new 1 million bpd cut in March-source
* Reuters poll shows OPEC makes 67 pct of pledged cut
* Nigeria oil union threatens strike from Feb. 9
* U.S. crude stocks seen up for sixth straight time
(New throughout, updates prices, market activity)
LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed towards $41 a
barrel on Tuesday after OPEC signaled it might deepen its
record output cuts to help boost prices and drain bloated
stockpiles.
OPEC's president told Reuters the group could take more
action when it meets on March 15. Later, an OPEC source said
the group may discuss a 1 million barrel-per-day cut in
addition to the 4.2 million in reductions agreed since
September.
U.S. light crude for March delivery <CLc1> rose 73 cents to
$40.81 by 1730 GMT, having fallen to $39.83 on Monday, the
first time below $40 a barrel in three weeks. London Brent
<LCOc1> rose 53 cents to $44.35.
"Prices do seem to have bottomed for now," said Kevin
Norrish of Barclays Capital. "OPEC has probably taken more than
enough off the market and there's a risk of over-tightening, in
which case prices would go back up fairly swiftly."
Slowing economic growth in the United States, China, Japan
and other major consumers has dampened fuel use, swelled stocks
and knocked more than $100 a barrel off the price of crude
since its July 2008 peak near $150.
But despite the softening world energy demand, oil has held
stubbornly above the $40 mark in recent weeks, buoyed partly by
the aggressive OPEC cuts.
A Reuters survey showed the group, which pumps a third of
the world's oil, had carried out about 67 percent of its record
curb in January.
Adding support to prices Tuesday were oil worker labor
disputes in the United States, Europe and Nigeria -- though
none had hurt supplies yet.
Negotiators were hashing out a contract for U.S. refinery
and pipeline workers and the union has said it could strike if
talks break down -- a move that would shut some 10 percent of
the nation's fuel production capacity within days.
In Europe, hundreds of contract workers at British energy
facilities were protesting the use of foreign workers, though
operations at refineries, power plants and pipelines remained
unaffected.
Nigeria's senior oil workers' union, meanwhile, threatened
to begin an indefinite strike from Monday unless the government
improved security in the Niger Delta, its restive oil
heartland.
Nigeria pumped about 1.75 million barrels per day (bpd) in
January, versus its OPEC supply target of 1.67 million bpd,
according to the Reuters survey. []
U.S. crude inventory data were likely to show stocks rose
for the sixth time in a row as refinery utilisation remained
curbed by seasonal maintenance and imports rose, according to a
Reuters poll of analysts. [].
Analysts issued their forecasts ahead of weekly inventory
data to be released on Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information
Administration. Industry group American Petroleum Institute
will release its data on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Peg Mackey in London, Annika Breidthardt in
Singapore, Richard Valdmanis in New York; editing by William
Hardy/Alex Lawler/David Gregorio)
