NYMEX-Crude up as June expires, closes week off a bit

* Short-covering on news of al Qaeda plot lifts prices

* Dollar gains versus euro on negative Greece news

* Coming up: API stocks data, 4:30 p.m. EDT, Tuesday

NEW YORK, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended higher on Friday as a flurry of short-covering caused prices to rebound midday from early lows after news that al Qaeda had plotted last year to hijack or sink oil tankers to prompt.

The al Qaeda's aim was to cause a rise in prices and trigger an economic crisis in the West, U.S. officials said, citing intelligence gathered from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.[ID:nN20173119]

The officials added, however, that there was no indication of any specific or imminent terrorist attack being plotted.

Before the midday bounce, prices had fallen more than $2 a barrel, pressured by the strength of the dollar and on liquidations ahead of the expiration of front-month June contract CLM1 at the close. Some analysts said the day's erratic price swings were probably due to the illiquidity of the June contract and on technical pressures.

FUNDAMENTALS

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for June delivery expired and settled at $99.49 a barrel, gaining $1.05, or 1.07 percent, after trading from $95.99 to $99.89.

* For the week, front-month crude fell 16 cents, from the $99.65 settlement on May 13.

* NYMEX July crude CLN1 settled up $1.17, or 1.18 percent at $100.10, trading from $96.35 to $100.42.

* In London, ICE Brent for July delivery LCON1 settled at $112.39 a barrel, gaining 97 cents, or 0.86 percent.

* For the week, front-month Brent fell $1.44, or 1.27 percent, from the $113.83 settlement on May 13.

* NYMEX June RBOB RBM1 closed up 0.98 cent, or 0.33 percent, at $2.9358 a gallon. For the week, it fell 13.86 cents, or 4.51 percent, extending losses to a third week.

* NYMEX June heating oil HOM1 settled 2.36 cents higher, or 0.82 percent, at $2.9183 a gallon. For the week, it fell 2.39 cents or 0.81 percent, declining from the week to may 13, when prices rose 9.65 cents, or 3.39 pct.

* NYMEX speculators cut their net long positions by 34,149 contracts to 221,565 in week to May 17 while ICE WTI crude speculators reduced their net long positions by 1,283 contracts to 33,333 in the same week, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in a weekly report. [ID:nEMS3CA3JB]

* Total U.S. crude oil and petroleum product consumption jumped 5.2 percent in April from a year earlier to 19.886 million barrels per day, the American Petroleum Institute said in a monthly report. [ID:nN20219569]

* U.S. gasoline demand fell in April for the first time in three months as high pump prices took their toll on drivers, but diesel fuel use soared due to the improving economy, the API report showed.

* Demand for distillates, which included heating oil and diesel fuel, soared 15.2 percent to 4.270 million barrels per day. Diesel consumption alone soared nearly 26 percent, the API added.

* NATO has sunk eight Libyan warships and intercepted a fuel tanker it believed was heading for the military, the alliance said. [ID:nLDE74I27W]

* NATO said military and political pressure is weakening Muammar Gaddafi's hold on power and should eventually dislodge him. [nLDE74J1JD]

* At least 21 protesters were killed after Syrian security forces opened fire during pro-democracy protests, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

* For other news from the Middle East and North Africa, click on [TOP/MEAST]

MARKETS NEWS

* U.S. equities fell on euro-zone debt worries and as retailers dipped after a weak profit from bellwether Gap. [.N]

* Rating agency Fitch downgraded Greece's debt and Norway suspended a grant payment to the country, while anxiety gripped the market ahead of Spain's regional election this weekend--all causing the euro to sink against the dollar. [USD/] .DXY

* Gold rose 1.5 percent, its biggest daily gain in two weeks, on safe-haven buying as investors fretted about euro zone debt after Fitch cut Greece's credit ratings.

* Copper closed the week on a stronger footing, touching its highest in more than two weeks as evidence of strengthening Chinese demand gave values a firm boost. [MET/L]

UPCOMING DATA/EVENTS

* U.S, Energy Information Administration's weekly petroleum inventories data, 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), Wednesday.

    SETTLE     NET    PCT     LOW    HIGH  CURRENT  DAY AGO

              CHNG   CHNG                      VOL      VOL
CLc1    99.49    1.05   1.1%   95.99   99.89   30,343  142,668
CLc2   100.10    1.17   1.2%   96.35  100.42  379,029  311,515
LCOc1  112.39    0.97   0.9%  108.60  112.88  209,409  163,744
RBc1   2.9358  0.0098   0.3%  2.8563  2.9587   23,086   36,813
RBc2   2.9203  0.0163   0.6%  2.8435  2.9435   43,585   45,863
HOc1   2.9183  0.0236   0.8%  2.8261  2.9408   16,818   33,109
HOc2   2.9320  0.0235   0.8%  2.8395  2.9534   40,221   37,852
TOTAL MARKET            VOLUME                 OPEN  INTEREST

          CURRENT    May 19   30D AVG     May 19  NET CHNG
CRUDE        600,458   618,965   696,894  1,546,119    14,498
RBOB         101,105   130,429   155,882    280,688     4,450
HO            82,953    96,303   123,308    313,972       183
 (Reporting by Gene Ramos and Robert Gibbons; Editing by
Marguerita Choy)