Gold tops $930 as crude jumps to new record

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Gold climbed back above $930 on
Thursday as oil set a new record high, fanning fears of inflation
and encouraging investors to buy the precious metal as a hedge.

-- Spot gold <XAU=> was at $934.60/935.40 an ounce at 0045
GMT, up from late New York levels of $928.55/929.75.

-- On Wednesday, bullion hit a session high of $931.85, its
highest since April 21.

-- In late trade on Wednesday, U.S. crude futures CLc1
topped $134 a barrel for the first time, leaping past record
highs set earlier after a surprise drawdown in U.S. crude oil
inventory.

-- Gold futures for June delivery GCM8 on the COMEX
division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $6.8 to $935.4
an ounce in electronic trading.

-- Spot platinum <XPT=> rose to around $2,200 an ounce, up
from late New York levels of $2,187/2,207, and inching up towards
the record of $2,290 marked on March 4.

-- Precious metals refiner Johnson Matthey (JMAT.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said this
week that the metal, used in jewelry and auto catalysts, could
spike to a record high of $2,500 this year on supply tightness.

-- Spot silver <XAG=> climbed to $18.07/18.13 an ounce versus
$17.95/18.03 in late New York, while spot palladium <XPD=> was at
$455/460, compared to $454/462.

-- Benchmark April gold <0#JAU:> on the Tokyo Commodity
Exchange was up 23 yen a gram at 3,113 yen.
(Reporting by Miho Yoshikawa; Editing by Hugh Lawson)