Oil steady above $78, eyes U.S. crude stocks

By James Topham

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil held steady above $78 a barrel on Tuesday, after rising more than 1.5 percent a day ago, as traders weighed the impact of a possible rise in U.S. crude stocks against positive manufacturing and home sales data.

The strength of commodities-linked currencies such as the Australian dollar had also offered support to oil, though the Aussie erased early gains after the country's central bank raised rates but left investors pondering the timing of its next move.

U.S. crude for December rose 11 cents to $78.24 a barrel by 0649 GMT, after settling up $1.13 on Monday. London Brent crude gained 12 cents to $76.67 a barrel.

U.S. crude futures rose to the highest this year at $81.78 a barrel on Oct. 23, after turning positive on a rolling 12-month basis in the middle of last month for the first time since October 2008, raising the risk of commodity-led inflation.

"Oil has stablised around the $80 level, with the feeling in the market that when oil hits above $80, the focus shifts towards the high levels of fuel inventories," said Victor Shum, a consultant with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.

"So in the near term, it is still considered very difficult to push through and substain above $80."

A Reuters poll of analysts forecast weekly U.S. inventory data for the week to Oct. 30 would show a 1.5 million-barrel build in crude stockpiles, a 500,000-barrel draw in distillates and a 300,000-barrel rise in gasoline inventories.

Industry group American Petroleum Institute will issue its weekly report on U.S. inventories later on Tuesday, while the U.S. government Energy Information Administration will issue its data on Wednesday.

Oil got a boost on Monday after U.S. manufacturing activity hit its highest level in 3-½ years last month and pending home sales contracts unexpectedly jumped in September, easing fears the budding economic recovery of the world's largest oil consumer would falter.

A separate report from the U.S. Commerce Department showed spending on construction projects rose in September.

Energy traders have closely watched economic data and equities markets this year for signs of a turnaround in the economic crisis that could bolster flagging oil demand.

The U.S. Federal Reserve starts its two-day meeting later on Tuesday and while it is expected to keep rates unchanged, there is speculation that it might drop or alter its pledge to keep rates low for an "extended period".

(Editing by Ramthan Hussain)

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