UPDATE 3-Oil pushes above $68; G20 lifts sentiment

                                
 * U.S. markets observe Labor Day holiday
                                
 * G20 stimulus plans may mean rising oil demand
                                
 * OPEC seen keeping output targets unchanged
                                
 
                                
(Updates prices, quote, background)
                                
 By Catherine Bosley
                                
 LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Oil prices pushed above $68 a
barrel in thin trade on Monday, with sentiment buoyed by Asian
and European equities and by a decision by the G20 to keep
economic stimulus measures in place.
                                
 U.S crude for October delivery <CLc1> rose 51 cents to
$68.52 a barrel by 1039 GMT. London Brent crude <LCOc1> was up 69
cents at $67.50 a barrel.
                                
 Group of 20 finance leaders, who met in London on Saturday,
said they would not end economic stimulus plans until the
recovery was well entrenched, raising the prospect of higher
fuel demand in coming months. [ID:nL5327479]
                                
 Along with U.S. data released late last week showing a
slowdown in layoffs, the G20's decision helped lift Asian and
European shares. [ID:nSP487193] [.E]
                                
 Positive equities in turn helped push the dollar down
against both sterling and the euro. [FRX/]
                                
 But analysts said oil prices were likely to remain in a
narrow range for most of the session because many U.S. investors
would be absent for Labor Day, which marks the end of the summer
holiday season during which gasoline demand rises.
                                
 "Markets are always looking for direction, currently
especially from equity markets. We don't have fundamental
driving forces (today) in the oil market, therefore moves are
very, very minor in amplitude," said Andy Sommer, analyst with
EGL in Switzerland.
                                
 "I wouldn't expect much to happen during the day because
American players are not in today.
                                
 Oil prices, which fell 6.5 percent last week, have been
trading in a range between $65 and $75 a barrel since the start
of August, with prices swinging on economic data as investors
seek clues about the speed of a recovery from the recession.
                                
 Oil came under pressure last week on concerns over the
jobless rate in the United States, which hit a 26-year high,
although the pace of worker layoffs slowed.
                                
 
                                
 OPEC MEETING
                                
 Increased crude supplies from the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to slipping compliance, could
also put downward pressure on oil prices in the near term,
analysts said.
                                
 OPEC members meet in Vienna for a quarterly output policy
meeting this week, with most analysts expecting the group, the
source of more than a third of the world's oil supply, to
maintain its official output target to keep prices stable around
$70. [O/POLL]
                                
 "We expect another OPEC quota rollover to be the result of
the meeting; in addition, there will undoubtedly be calls for
better quota compliance (i.e., lower production) from OPEC
members such as Angola, Iran, and Venezuela," Societe Generale
said in a research note.
                                
 For a preview of the OPEC meeting, click on [ID:nL468999]
                                
 Traders will also be watching a weather disturbance that is
moving westward from Africa. There is a medium chance of it
becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S.
National Hurricane Centre said on Sunday. [ID:nN06222763]
                                
 Crude oil speculators on the New York Mercantile Exchange
reduced their net long positions in the week to Sept 1, the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in a report on Friday.
[ID:nN04188950]
 (Additional reporting by Fayen Wong in Perth; editing by Keiron
Henderson)