NYMEX-Crude falls towards $76 as firmer dollar pressures

TOKYO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures dropped towards
$76 a barrel on Friday, falling further after tumbling nearly 3
percent the previous day, as the U.S. dollar held onto gains from
a broad rally on Thursday.

FUNDAMENTALS

* NYMEX crude for December delivery CLc1 was down 59 cents
at $76.35 a barrel by 0059 GMT, after settling down $2.34 on
Thursday, when growing U.S. crude inventories and the firmer
dollar pressured prices. [ID:nSP198800]

* U.S. crude inventories rose 1.8 million barrels last week,
government data showed on Thursday, slightly more than an earlier
industry report of a 1.2 million-barrel build, but far greater
than the forecast for just a 600,000 barrel rise in a Reuters
poll. [EIA/S]

* Further hitting prices on Thursday, the U.S. dollar rose
broadly in technical trading after a weekly U.S. jobless report
triggered strength in the currency and momentum pushed it further
through key levels. [USD/]

Oil and the dollar tend to be inversely correlated because a
weak dollar makes the commodity relatively cheap for non-dollar
buyers.

MARKETS NEWS

* Japan's Nikkei stock average was flat on Friday, with
exporters up after the yen lost ground, though concerns about
consumer spending that took Wall Street lower were limiting
gains. [.T]

* The dollar clung to gains in Asia on Friday after another
sporadic bout of profit-taking in riskier trades that has
characterised the currency's eight-month bear trend. [FRX/]

* The 19-commodity Reuters-Jefferies CRB index .CRB, which
tracks 19 mostly U.S.-traded futures markets, fell 1.6 percent on
Thursday, as the firmer dollar pressured prices. [COM/WRAP]

DATA/EVENTS

* The following data is expected on Friday:

- U.S. Import/Export Prices for October (1330 GMT)

- Reuters/Univ of Mich November Consumer Sentiment (1455 GMT)

- U.S. ECRI Weekly Index of Economic Activity (1530 GMT)

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PRICES
Oil prices as of 0059 GMT
Contract Mnth Price Change Day ago pct MA-20*
NYMEX Contracts
US Crude DEC9 $76.35 -0.59 -$2.34 -2.95% $79.14
Heat Oil DEC9 197.40 -1.70 -6.48 -3.15% 204.79
RBOB DEC9 192.88 -1.17 -5.22 -2.62% 199.79
Natgas DEC9 $4.389 +0.019 -$0.133 -2.95% $4.747
ICE Contracts
Brent DEC9 -- +0.00 -$1.93 -2.48% $77.55
Gasoil DEC9 -- +0.00 -$20.00 -3.15% $633.08
Note: U.S. heating oil and RBOB gasoline contracts listed in
cents per gallon.
* = 20-day moving average for continuation month.
(Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Chris Gallagher)