NYMEX-Crude up as dollar slumps, equities rise

* Euro up sharply against the dollar

* Equities markets rise on supportive euro zone data

NEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose to a 2009 high
above $74 on Friday as a weak dollar and supportive euro zone economic data
helped boost the new front-month October crude contract.

"The newly spot October WTI crude futures have been leading much of the
overnight advance with the assistance of a weakening U.S. dollar that, in
turn, was forced lower by some surprisingly favorable European
manufacturing data earlier today," Jim Ritterbusch, president at
Ritterbusch & Associates in Galena, Illinois, said in a note.

World equities rose Friday after the euro zone manufacturing and
services survey showed significantly bigger improvement than expected.
[MKTS/GLOB]

The euro hit a two-week high against the dollar on data showing a
decline in the euro zone's dominant services sector almost came to a halt.
[USD/]

U.S. stocks were higher at the open. [.N]

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:55 a.m EDT (1355 GMT),
front-month October crude CLV9 was up $1.10, or 1.51 percent, at $74.01 a
barrel, trading from $72.03 to $74.48, the highest intraday front-month
crude oil price since crude hit $75.69 on Oct. 21.

* NYMEX September crude expired on Thursday, settling at $72.54 a
barrel, up only 12 cents.

* In London on Friday, October Brent crude LCOV9 rose 97 cents, or
1.32 percent, to $74.30 a barrel, trading from $72.65 to $74.65.

* NYMEX September RBOB RBU9 rose 1.05 cents, or 0.53 percent, to
$1.9927 a gallon, trading from $1.9763 to $2.0025.

* NYMEX September heating oil HOU9 rose 2.50 cents, or 1.33 percent,
to $1.9102 a gallon, trading from $1.8734 to $1.9163.

* September products contracts expire on Aug. 31.

* The October/October RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $5.49, after
the September/September spread ended at $10.71 on Thursday. The
October/October heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $7.25, after
the September/September spread ended at $6.64 on Thursday.

* The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward
crude contract CLc61 was at $12.36, based on the October 2014 contract
Thursday settlement at $86.37. The spread ended Thursday at $13.66.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $70.20/$69.76

Technical support/resistance:

NYMEX crude: $71.78/$73.38

NYMEX heating oil: $1.80/$1.90

NYMEX RBOB: $1.9822/$2.00

For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nLL406121]

MARKET NEWS

* Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501.T) said it is considering shutting the
No. 7 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant to replace a fuel rod
after a problem. [ID:

* Crude oil exports to North Asia fell during April-June for the third
quarter in a row to their lowest in two years, as demand in Japan and South
Korea slowed. [ID:nSP506165]

* Hurricane Bill was expected to travel north between Bermuda and the
U.S. East Coast before hitting eastern Canada, the U.S. National Hurricane
Center said. [ID:nN21460548]
(Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by John Picinich)