Oil rebounds to above $77 on European loan package

By ALEX KENNEDY Associated Press Writer

SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices rebounded to above $77 a barrel Monday in Asia from last week's 14 percent sell-off after Europe and the IMF pledged nearly $1 trillion to help defend the embattled euro.

Benchmark crude for June delivery was up $2.41 to $77.52 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The June contract fell $2 to settle at $75.11 on Friday.

The European Union Commission and International Monetary Fund pledged a euro750 billion loan package Monday after the euro plunged last week amid investor concerns a debt crisis in Greece could spread to other European countries.

Crude prices are down from an 18-month high of $87.15 a barrel early last week as the debt crisis battered the euro, which rallied Monday to $1.2960 from $1.2759.

Commodities priced in dollars, such as oil, become less expensive for investors holding euros as the U.S. currency weakens.

"The EU rescue package has calmed financial markets for now," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with consultancy Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. "Equities are going up, the dollar is coming down and oil is reacting to that."

Asian stocks rose in early trading Monday after falling most of last week.

"Last week's drop left oil oversold," Shum said. "We expect prices to creep back above $80, possibly this week."

In other Nymex trading in June contracts, heating oil rose 5.03 cents to $2.1298 a gallon, and gasoline added 5.21 cents to $2.1772 a gallon. Natural gas gained 3.8 cents to $4.053 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent crude was up $2.16 to $80.43 on the ICE futures exchange.