NEW YORK, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures edged lower
in choppy trading on Wednesday as the dollar recovered from
15-month lows hit earlier.

"The rebound by the dollar definitely helped pull crude
back," said Tom Bentz, analyst at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures
Inc in New York.

The dollar's weakness and strong economic and crude oil
import data out of China had pushed crude futures to an early
high above $80 a barrel.

"The crude market came back after it could not excite any
bullish momentum above $80 and equities faded after a strong
open," said Stephen Schork, editor of the industry newsletter
the Schork Report in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

The dollar rallied from a 15-month low against major
currencies in a technical rebound after selling pressure failed
to push the U.S. currency through key levels. [USD/]

Also limiting oil's upside was the late Tuesday oil
inventory report from the American Petroleum Institute. Crude
stocks last week rose more than forecast and there were
unexpected builds in products inventories. [API/S]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's oil inventory
report will not arrive until Thursday at 11:00 a.m. EST (1600
GMT) due to Wednesday's federal Veterans Day holiday.

A Reuters survey on Tuesday yielded a forecast for crude
supplies to be up 600,000 barrels, with gasoline stocks
unchanged and distillate stocks down 700,000 barrels. [EIA/S]

Traders also eyed rapid restarts of energy operations after
Tropical Storm Ida.

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:18 p.m. EST
(1718 GMT), December crude CLZ9 was down 18 cents, or 0.23
percent, at $78.87 a barrel, trading from $78.60 to $80.10.

* In London, December Brent crude LCOZ9 was down 12
cents, or 0.15 percent, to $77.38 a barrel, trading from $77.07
to $78.62. The December Brent contract expires on Friday.

* Refined products also seesawed.

* NYMEX December RBOB RBZ9 was up only 0.46 cent, or 0.23
percent, to $1.9820 a gallon, trading from $1.9664 to $2.0108.

* NYMEX December heating oil HOZ9 was down 0.60 cents, or
0.29 percent, to $2.0463 a gallon, trading from $2.0416 to
$2.0796.

* The December/December RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was
at $4.41, after ending at $4.00 on Tuesday. The
December/December heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at
$7.08, after ending at $7.15 on Tuesday.

* The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $12.57, based
on the December 2014 contract Tuesday settlement at $91.44. The
spread ended Tuesday at $12.39.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $79.00/$79.18

Technical support/resistance:

NYMEX crude: $77.92/$82.00

NYMEX heating oil: $2.0090/$2.0956

NYMEX RBOB: $1.9346/$2.0202

For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nLB182515]

MARKET NEWS

* China's October crude oil imports rose 19.7 percent from
a year earlier to 19.34 million tonnes, or 4.55 million barrels
per day, preliminary Customs data showed. [ID:nPEK22093]

* OPEC raised its 2010 demand growth forecast, said
compliance with targets slipped to 60 percent in October and
that demand may not return to precrisis levels. [ID:nLB201308]

* Oil product in floating storage has risen to 90.3 million
barrels, according to ship brokers ICAP. ICAP anticipates 6.5
million barrels more added before end of 2009. [ID:nLB165344]
(Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by David Gregorio)