* Cold snap across U.S., Europe boosts prices
* Eyes on Russia-Belarus oil price spat
* Weekly U.S. inventory data seen supporting prices
* U.S. factory orders, jobs data due this week
(Updates prices, changes dateline from SINGAPORE)
LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Oil edged up towards $82 a barrel
on Tuesday, rising for the ninth straight session, as cold snaps
in key consumers the United States and Europe boosted demand for
heating fuel.
U.S. data, including November factory orders later on
Tuesday and key jobless claims and employment numbers later in
the week -- will offer clues on the health of the economy and
oil demand outlook from the world's top oil consumer.
Markets are also keeping an eye on an oil price dispute
between Russia and Belarus that briefly cut off supplies to the
eastern European nation. Russia on Monday said it had resumed
supplies to refineries in Belarus, but tension still simmers.
[]
Weekly U.S. oil inventory data from the American Petroleum
Institute (API) due later on Tuesday and the Energy Information
Administration (EIA) due on Wednesday are also expected to be
mildly price supportive.
U.S. crude for February delivery <CLc1> rose 15 cents to
$81.65 a barrel by 0821 GMT, off an earlier high of $81.99 and
after settling up $2.15 at $81.51 on Monday, its highest close
since Oct. 9, 2008.
London Brent crude <LCOc1> climbed 21 cents to $80.33.
"Oil is very well supported due to colder weather in the
northern hemisphere markets, and it looks like the bullish bias
is here to stay for now," said Tony Nunan, a risk manager with
Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corp.
"We're also seeing new money coming in on the long side,
taking fresh positions for the new year."
Frigid temperatures were expected to boost U.S. heating
demand to 21 percent above normal, with consumption in the U.S.
northeast -- the largest heating oil market -- seen 11 percent
above average levels. [] []
Unusually cold weather in Britain is expected to continue
into the second half of January after the coldest December since
1995, while lower temperatures in Europe were seen gradually
spreading from the northeast to the southwest during the next
few days. [] []
Heavy snow and biting cold also hit parts of Asia on Monday,
with unusually harsh winter weather snarling transport across
north China, South Korea and India. []
Oil also got a boost from a weak dollar. The greenback
steadied on Tuesday, keeping broad losses made the previous day,
as growing hopes for a global economic recovery spurred
investors to shift funds to riskier assets from the greenback.
[]
U.S. economic data due this week will likely show that a
patchy recovery is already underway in the world's largest
economy. At 1500 GMT, the Commerce Department will release
November factory orders, which are expected to rise 0.5 percent
compared with a 0.6 percent gain in the previous month.
At 2130 GMT, API data is forecast to show a 1.9 million
barrel drawdown last week in distillate stocks, which include
heating oil and diesel fuel, while crude stocks were seen
unchanged and gasoline supplies higher. []
(Reporting by Jennifer Tan in Singapore and Joe Brock in
London; editing by Michael Urquhart and Sue Thomas)
