NYMEX-Crude holds near $96 after sliding on U.S. data

SINGAPORE, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures were steady on Monday after falling more than 1 percent in the previous session following an unexpected dip in U.S. industrial production.

Trading volumes are likely to be lean with U.S. investors away for a public holiday.

FUNDAMENTALS

* U.S. crude for March delivery was off 12 cents at $95.74 a barrel by 0118 GMT. The contract dropped 1.5 percent on Friday.

* Brent crude edged up 22 cents to $117.88 a barrel, after posting its first weekly loss in five last week.

* U.S. industrial production unexpectedly fell in January, weighed down by weak manufacturing and mining, according to a report on Friday that was another sign of slow economic activity at the start of the year.

* U.S. manufacturing also got off to a tepid start as motor vehicle output tumbled in January, but a rebound in factory activity in New York state this month suggested any setback would be temporary.

* Financial leaders from the world's 20 biggest economies may have promised not to devalue their currencies to help exports, but the pledge will do little to keep exchange rates stable.

* Saudi crude exports fell for the third month running in December, but the fall in shipments was less dramatic than a drop in oil production, official data showed.

* Syria's opposition coalition is ready to negotiate President Bashar al-Assad's exit with any member of his government who has not participated in his military crackdown on the uprising, coalition members said.

MARKETS NEWS

* Japanese shares rallied and the yen fell on Monday after Tokyo escaped direct criticism from its G20 peers on its aggressive reflationary plans that have weakened the currency.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0900 Euro zone Current account

0900 Euro zone Net investment flow

1430 European Central Bank President Mario Draghi testifies

at the European Parliament

(Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Joseph Radford)