GLOBAL MARKETS-Markets hold ranges before U.S. jobs data
TOKYO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Asian shares and major currencies were stuck in ranges on Friday ahead of key U.S. jobs data, which will offer more clues over the state of the world's largest economy, while Greek debt restructuring talks dragged on.
"Basically market players will likely take a wait-and-see stance ahead of U.S. payroll data and as Greece has not reached a debt swap deal yet," said Masayuki Doshida, senior market analyst at Rakuten Securities, adding that HSBC's China services PMI data could offer some trading incentives.
COMMODITIES-Mostly down, awaiting US jobs report; gold up
NEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Commodities dipped again on Thursday, with crude oil closing lower for a fifth day and copper and some crops down also, as investors remained cautious ahead of a U.S. jobs report for January.
"We're marking time a little bit (waiting for) the unemployment number," said Sterling Smith, a senior commodity futures analyst at Country Hedging Inc in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Chevron Brazil output drops after ANP shut well
SAO PAULO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Chevron's ranking among Brazil's top oil producers dropped in December from third to fourth, following Petrobras, Shell and Stateoil, after the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) ordered the U.S. oil major to shut a well.
Despite the record oil output from Brazil last year and in December outlined in an ANP report released on Thursday, production from Chevron fell 14 percent to 34,797 barrels of oil equivalent per day in December from November.
Canada plan to sell oil to China faces big hurdles
OTTAWA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper may still be smarting from Canada's failed bid to ramp up oil exports to the United States, but his plan B could prove to be even tougher.
Harper heads across the Pacific next week in a bid to convince China to satisfy its growing energy appetite with Canada's vast oil reserves.
India team to seek boost in Iran imports for oil
NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - India will send a delegation to Iran this month to explore boosting exports to smooth use of the restricted rupee currency, which the two sides have agreed to use for 45 percent of New Delhi's $11 billion a year oil bill, sources told Reuters.
India is currently paying Iran for the oil through Turkey's Halkbank after a previous mechanism was closed 13 months ago, but fears that route may also succumb to international pressure.
Brent up, US crude down, premium near 3-month high
NEWS YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Brent prices rose for a third straight day on Thursday and U.S. crude dropped more than 1 percent in heavy trading that saw the price differential between the two contracts widen close to three-month highs.
"Demand in Asia is very strong right now -- refiners there can get more bang for their buck in buying Brent," said Phil Flynn, analyst at PFGBest Research in Chicago.
US natgas ends up 7 pct, shorts cover on stock draw
NEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Front-month U.S. natural gas futures ended higher on Thursday after three straight losing sessions, backed by short covering after a government report showed a weekly inventory draw slightly above market expectations.
"The combination of a withdrawal from inventory coming in a tad better than the expectations and the fact that the market remains in an oversold state was enough to result in a modest short covering rally today," Energy Management Institute's Dominick Chirichella said in a report.
Euro Coal-Rises with gas, power on cold
LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Freezing weather across much of Europe pushed up power, gas and coal prices on Wednesday, although no fresh trades were reported.
"It's been one of those days when all the energy markets are rising and coal has to follow," one European trader said.
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