20121005 1510 Global Markets & Energy Related News.

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia shares gain after ECB assurances, US jobs next in focus
TOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Asian shares rose and the euro kept most of its overnight gains as investor risk aversion eased after the European Central Bank said it was ready to buy bonds of troubled euro zone countries, while markets awaited a key U.S. jobs report.
"Recent good news has been offset by Spanish delays to request help," Barclays Capital said in research note.

OIL-Brent slips towards $112 ahead of U.S. jobs data
SINGAPORE, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Brent futures slipped towards $112 per barrel on Friday, but is on course to end a choppy week nearly flat as rising tensions in the Middle East battled with perennial worries about the global economy and oil demand.
"The softness we're seeing could be a combination of profit-booking and nervousness ahead of the non-farm payrolls data," said Ben le Brun, a market analyst with OptionsXpress in Sydney.

NATURAL GAS-US natgas futures end up in seesaw trade, EIAs seen bearish
NEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures ended slightly higher on Thursday in a seesaw session, as traders shrugged off a bearish weekly inventory report and focused instead on cooler weather forecasts for next week and better heating demand as winter approaches.
"The prompt NYMEX natural gas contract sold off immediately after the EIA revealed a larger than expected ... injection into storage," Mike Tran, at CIBC World Markets, said in a report.

EURO COAL-Prices rise by $1/T; oversupply fears ease
LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Prompt physical coal prices rose by as much as $1.00 a tonne on Thursday as traders bought to cover short positions and on optimism that prices are starting to recover from steep falls in the summer.
"A trader was let down on a late October cargo and needed to cover to meet a commitment, so paid up," one European trader said.