NYMEX-Crude shifts lower as RBOB gasoline skids

* Wall Street gains on renewed economic optimism

* Nigeria militants claim another pipeline attack

NEW YORK, June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures
shifted lower midday on Friday as gasoline futures tumbled,
extending gasoline's losses since midweek on data showing a
surprisingly large increase in gasoline inventories last week.

"Gasoline is under siege here, with the supply build after
production rose last week," said Andy Lebow, broker at MF
Global in New York.

Selling in the gasoline sector could be related to
liquidation of the July RBOB crack spread as the July crude
contract is expiring on Monday, said Tim Evans, analyst at Citi
Futures Perspective in New York.

Earlier, crude futures rose, supported by gains on Wall
Street amid rising economic recovery hopes, a weaker dollar and
turmoil in OPEC-member Nigeria.

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange, at 12:45 p.m. EDT
(1645 GMT), July crude CLN9 was down 84 cents, or 1.18
percent, at $70.53 a barrel, trading from $70.25 to $72.30.

* The June 11 $72.68 settlement was the highest since the
Oct. 20 settlement at $74.25. The June 11 $73.23 intraday peak
was highest since Oct. 21, when crude hit $75.69.

* In London, August Brent crude LCOQ9 was down 86 cents,
or 1.21 percent, at $70.20 a barrel, trading from $70 to
$71.96.

* NYMEX July RBOB RBN9 slumped 6.42 cents, or 3.16
percent, to $1.9653 a gallon, trading from $1.9519 to $2.0375.

* NYMEX July heating oil HON9 was down 1.98 cents, or
1.08 percent, to $1.8172 a gallon, trading from $1.8076 to
$1.8590.

* The July/July RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at
$12.01, after ending at $13.87 on Thursday. The July/July
heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $5.79, up slightly
from Thursday's $5.78.

* The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $15, based on
the July 2014 contract Thursday settlement at $85.53. The
spread ended at $14.16 on Thursday.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $70.98/$68.46

Technical support/resistance:

NYMEX crude: $70.00/$72.80

NYMEX heating oil: $1.80/$1.85

NYMEX RBOB: $2.00/$2.10

For a report on technicals click [ID:nLJ518426]

MARKET NEWS

* Nigeria's main militant group said on Friday it had
attacked an oil pipeline operated by Italian energy firm Agip
(ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), widening a campaign which has so far targeted Chevron
(CVX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research). There was no immediate
confirmation from the military or from Agip. [ID:nLJ121769]

* U.S. stocks rose as a recent spate of improving economic
data beckoned investors back into equity markets for a second
day, but analysts warned sentiment remained fragile. [.N]

* The dollar and the yen fell broadly as improved U.S. data
fueled hopes for a global economic recovery. The dollar's
decline against the euro was limited, with investors wary ahead
of a U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting and another record
batch of U.S. debt to be auctioned next week. [USD/]

* A gauge of future U.S. economic growth rose along with
its yearly growth rate, reaffirming hope that yearly growth
will turn positive in the summer months, the Economic Cycle
Research Institute said in its Weekly Leading Index.
[ID:nNYS005161]

* Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded an
end to street protests that have shaken the country since the
disputed presidential election. [ID:nEVA938168]
(Reporting by Gene Ramos and Robert Gibbons; Editing by Lisa
Shumaker)