TOKYO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures steadied above 
$72 a barrel on Thursday, after rising over 2 percent the 
previous day when data showed that U.S. crude oil stockpiles 
fell much more than expected last week. 
     
    FUNDAMENTALS 
    * NYMEX crude for October delivery <CLc1> was down 15 cents 
at $72.36 a barrel by 0007 GMT, after settling up $1.58 on 
Wednesday, when prices also got support from a slumping U.S. 
dollar. 
    A weaker dollar can help fuel purchases of oil and other 
dollar-denominated commodities as they become relatively less 
expensive to nondollar holding investors. 
    * The Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday 
U.S. crude stocks fell 4.7 million barrels last week, far more 
than the forecast for a 2.4 million decline in a Reuters poll, 
but against the 631,000-barrel rise reported by an industry 
group on Tuesday. [EIA/S] 
    * An OPEC delegate wrote in a Kuwaiti newspaper on Wednesday 
that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries might 
need to cut its oil supply next year to match an expected fall 
in demand for the group's crude. [ID:nLG49864] 
     
    MARKETS NEWS 
    * Tokyo's Nikkei average rose 1 percent on Thursday, lifted 
by exporters after industrial output data helped buoy U.S. 
stocks to fresh 2009 highs. [.T] 
    * The U.S. dollar and yen stayed on the defensive on 
Thursday as investors added to long positions in commodity 
currencies like the Australian and New Zealand dollars, 
encouraged by growing evidence of a global recovery. [FRX/] 
    * The Reuters-Jefferies CRB index <.CRB>, which tracks 19 
mostly U.S.-traded commodity markets, rose almost 2 percent on 
Wednesday, after U.S. data showed industrial production rose and 
the U.S. dollar sank. [COM/WRAP] 
     
    DATA/EVENTS 
    * The following data is expected on Thursday: 
    - Weekly U.S. Jobless Benefit Claims             (1230 GMT) 
    - U.S. Housing Starts/Building Permits for August (1230 GMT) 
    - Philadelphia Business Activity Index for Sept   (1400 GMT) 
     
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    PRICES 
 Oil prices as of 0007 GMT            
 Contract Mnth    Price  Change | Day ago     pct |    MA-20* 
 NYMEX Contracts 
 US Crude OCT9   $72.36   -0.15 |  +$1.58  +2.23% |    $71.00 
 Heat Oil OCT9   181.99   -0.59 |   +4.57  +2.57% |    181.24 
 RBOB     OCT9   184.05   -0.78 |   +5.91  +3.30% |    189.46 
 Natgas   OCT9   $3.771  +0.011 | +$0.440 +13.25% |    $2.972 
 ICE Contracts 
 Brent    NOV9      NA          |  +$1.81  +2.59% |    $69.97 
 Gasoil   OCT9      NA          | +$10.50  +1.90% |   $571.71 
 Note: U.S. heating oil and RBOB gasoline contracts listed in 
cents per gallon. 
 * = 20-day moving average for continuation month.