NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures were up
but off their early high above $50 in choppy trading Tuesday
amid profit taking and more weak U.S. economic data that helped
limit oil's earlier spike.

Crude futures earlier were lifted by Russia's energy
dispute with Ukraine, fighting in the Middle East and signs
that OPEC continues to implement a supply cut.

"It failed to hold over $50 and some profit taking hit,"
said Antoine Halff, first vice president of research at Newedge
in New York. "We've rallied on thin news and I'm not sure it is
justified by fundamentals."

Expectations for colder weather in the U.S. Northeast
helped support crude futures.

"Resistance at the $50 area is going to be like $40 was
before it. The economic data was not helpful (for crude
prices), but the weak economic situation should be priced in
and not something new," said Nauman Barakat, senior vice
president at Macquarie Futures USA.

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 11:43 a.m. EST
(1643 GMT), February crude CLG9 was up 45 cents, or 0.92
percent, at $49.26 per barrel, trading from $47.60 to $50.47,
the highest since $54.62 was struck Dec. 1.

* February Brent LCOG9 crude rose $1.35, or 2.72 percent,
to $50.97 a barrel, trading from $48.60 to $52.21.

* NYMEX February heating oil HOG9 rose 6.38 cents, or
4.05 percent, to $1.6401 a gallon, trading from $1.5623 to
$1.6688.

* NYMEX February RBOB RBG9 rose 2.36 cents, or 2.0
percent, at $1.2060 per gallon, trading from $1.1655 to
$1.2405.

* The Feb/Feb RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $1.33.
It ended at 85.08 cents Monday. The Feb/Feb heating oil crack
spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $19.49, after ending at $17.39
Monday.

* The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $25.45, based
on Monday's February 2014 contract settlement at $74.71. It
ended Monday at $25.90.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $42.03/$42.10

Technical support/resistance: NYMEX crude: $45.50/$50.00

NYMEX heating oil: $1.5655/$1.6580

NYMEX RBOB: $1.1775/$1.2305

For a report on technicals click [ID:nL6561901]

MARKET NEWS

* The slumping U.S. housing, factory and service sectors
produced more misery for the world's largest economy in the
last two months of 2008. [ID:nL676872]

* Russia's gas dispute with Ukraine cut supplies on Tuesday
to Turkey and several other European countries. [ID:nL6560699]

* Ukraine's government said it ordered regional utilities
to start using fuel oil instead of gas. [ID:nL6665180]

* The euro fell broadly on Tuesday, hitting a three-week
low versus the dollar. [USD/]

* Kuwait and Iran told some Asian customers of bigger
supply curbs. [ID:nSP184486]

* OPEC oil supply fell in December for a fourth consecutive
month as members implemented a deal to cut supplies, a Reuters
survey showed on Tuesday. [ID:nWLA4468]

* Canadian industrial product prices fell 2.6 percent in
November, the biggest drop on record. [ID:nOTT001492]

* U.S. crude oil inventories were expected to have risen
last week, with distillates and gasoline supplies also expected
to be up, according to an analyst survey on Monday. [EIA/S]

* The United States signaled some flexibility on Tuesday by
saying it would like to see "an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza.
[ID:nN06427092]
(Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Walter Bagley)