NYMEX-U.S. crude prices hover above $94, economic data supports

SINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures stayed above $94 a barrel on Friday, holding overnight gains as positive economic data boosted the outlook for demand in the world's largest oil consumer.

FUNDAMENTALS

* U.S. crude CLc1 had edged down 2 cents to $94.53 a barrel by 0024 GMT, after settling up 67 cents on Thursday.

* Brent crude LCOc1 rose 9 cents to $102.55 a barrel.

* Both oil contracts are heading for their second monthly decline.

* The U.S. economy rebounded more strongly than initially thought in the second quarter, with a bigger chunk of the growth driven by domestic demand in a bright sign for the future. ID:nL1N0QY0RS

* OPEC's oil production has risen in August from July, a Reuters survey found on Thursday, as a recovery in Libyan supply held up and Angola and Iran boosted supplies, outweighing a further decline in Iraq. ID:nL5N0QY2S7

* Libya's Waha Oil Co. has resumed a small volume of Es Sider crude oil production, a senior Libyan oil official said on Thursday in the latest sign that output is improving despite unrest in the country. ID:nL5N0QY4FL

* At least three oil-producing Latin America countries may soon start importing cheap, light crude to replace costly purchases of refined products, ending decades of crude self-sufficiency. ID:nL1N0QY1BU

* A tanker near Texas loaded with $100 million of disputed Iraqi Kurdish crude has disappeared from satellite tracking, the latest development in a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse between Baghdad and the Kurds. ID:nL1N0QY2P6

* A surge in Chinese buying to near record highs pushed up West African crude oil exports to Asia in September, a Reuters survey of traders showed on Thursday. ID:nL5N0QY3CK

* Ukraine's president said on Thursday that Russian troops had entered his country in support of pro-Moscow rebels who captured a key coastal town, sharply escalating a separatist war and prompting anger and alarm among Kiev's Western allies. ID:nL5N0QY67E

MARKETS NEWS

* The safe-haven yen held firm early on Friday, while the euro was on track to post its second straight month of declines as tensions between Ukraine and Russia flared up again. FRX/

DATA/EVENTS

* The following data is expected on Friday: (Time in GMT)

0600 Germany Retail sales July

0900 Euro zone Consumer prices Aug

0900 Euro zone Unemployment rate July

1230 U.S. Personal income July

1345 U.S. Chicago PMI Aug

1355 U.S. Univ of Michigan sentiment index Aug

(Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Joseph Radford) ((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; +65 6870 3497; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

((CRUDE OIL TRADES

Asia... ACRU/T Europe... CRU/T Americas... CRU/TU

CRUDE OIL MARKET NEWS

Crude oil tenders in Asia........................ CRU/TENDA

Crude oil supply outages in Asia............ CRU/OUT-ASIA-O

Refinery outages in Asia.................... REF/OUT-ASIA-O

Global arbitrage news and flows................. O/CRUDEARB

W.African crude imports to Asia, monthly........ O/WAFRICA1

REFINERY MAINTENANCE DIARIES

Asia... REF/A Middle East... REF/ME Europe... REF/E

NATIONAL CRUDE IMPORT DATA

Japan.............. METI/JP1 China.............. O/CHINA1