NYMEX-Crude gains on factory data, gold, technicals

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended
higher on Tuesday, lifted by data showing rising factory
orders, a rally in gold futures and firm technical support.

Traders said the oil markets veered away from influence
that they usually get from Wall Street, which was mixed in late
trading, and the U.S. dollar, which hit a one-month high
against a basket of currencies. [.N] [USD/]

"It's a technical rally. And some people are viewing the
rally in gold as a reason to push crude up," said Tim Evans,
energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York.

Crude's $76.55 intraday low was 1 cent under Monday's low
trade and technical support was charted at $76.20 a barrel.

Gold swept to a record high above $1,080 per ounce on
Tuesday, defying dollar strength, as the International Monetary
Fund's 200-tonne sale of gold to India's central bank enhanced
sentiment toward the metal. [ID:nL3566833]

New orders received by U.S. factories rose 0.9 percent in
September, stronger than expected, while inventories continued
to shrink, the Commerce Department said. [ID:nN03495427]

Traders were awaiting weekly oil inventory reports, to come
from the American Petroleum Institute at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130
GMT) on Tuesday and the U.S. Energy Information Administration
at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) on Wednesday.

An expanded Reuters survey on Tuesday yielded a forecast
for crude stocks to have risen by 1.4 million barrels last week
and for distillate supply to have dropped 1 million barrels and
gasoline stocks to have risen 300,000 barrels. [EIA/S]

The U.S. Federal Reserve began a two-day meeting on Tuesday
that was expected to end with a reaffirmation that policies to
support the economy, such as holding interest rates where they
are, will stay in place for some time, even as signs of
recovery mount. [ID:nN03503603]

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude
CLZ9 settled up $1.47, or 1.88 percent at $79.60 a barrel,
trading from $76.55 to $79.77.

* In London, December Brent crude LCOZ9 ended up $1.56,
or 2.04 percent, at $78.11 a barrel, trading from $75.08 to
$78.32.

* NYMEX December RBOB RBZ9 ended up 1.01 cents, or 0.51
percent, at $2.0004 a gallon, trading from $1.9379 to $2.0108.

* NYMEX December heating oil HOZ9 finished up 2.73 cents,
or 1.33 percent, at $2.0733 a gallon, trading from $2.0030 to
$2.0785.

* The December/December RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> ended
at $4.42, down from $5.46 on Monday. The December/December
heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> ended at $7.48, down from
$7.80 on Monday.

* The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 ended at $12.36
contracting from $13.11 on Monday. The December 2014 contract
settled Tuesday at $91.96, up 50 cents, or 0.55 percent.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $79.10/$77.07

Technical support/resistance:

NYMEX crude: $76.20/$78.00

NYMEX heating oil: $1.9635/$2.1045

NYMEX RBOB: $1.9335/$2.0605

For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nL3599109]

MARKET NEWS

* Oil field services providers Cameron International Corp
(CAM.N) and Rowan Companies Inc (RDC.N) said quarterly profits
were better than expected with an uptick in drilling activity,
and said the outlook for the sector is improving with a
recovery in commodity prices. [ID:nBNG491089]

* Mexico's oil exporting ports Dos Bocas and Coatzacoalcos
reopened on Tuesday morning, after bad weather shut the ports
this weekend, the government said. [ID:nN03498835]

* Venezuela said OPEC should not raise oil production when
the group next meets on Dec. 22 in Angola. [ID:nN03494981]

* Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafel Ramirez on Tuesday
lowered the South American OPEC member's 2015 oil capacity
growth targets by more than 13 percent. [ID:nN03490455]

* Lyondell Basell ACCELC.UL said its Houston refinery ran
at 262,000 barrels per day in September, 8,600 bpd below rated
capacity, due to low demand and more expensive oil.
[ID:nN03500321]

* The restart of a hydrotreater at BP Plc's (BP.L) (BP.N)
265,000 bpd refinery in Carson, California, is planned to take
a few weeks, sources familiar with the refinery's operations
said. [ID:nN03502955]
(Reporting by Gene Ramos, Robert Gibbons and Edward
McAllister; Editing by Walter Bagley)