* Tropical weather threats eyed, supportive to oil prices * U.S. crude inventories seen lower last week - poll * Coming up: API oil data, 4:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday NEW YORK, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose on Wednesday ahead of inventory reports expected to show crude stocks fell last week in the United States and with equities higher and the dollar weaker. U.S. crude inventories likely fell last week, by 1.9 million barrels, because of imports and production curbed by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, a preliminary Reuters analysts survey showed on Tuesday. [EIA/S] Distillate stocks were expected to have edged lower and gasoline stockpiles were expected to be down 2.0 million barrels. About 60 percent of Gulf of Mexico crude oil production and 41 percent of natural gas output remained shut in at midday on Tuesday as producers restaffed platforms after Tropical Storm Lee. [ID:nN1E7851AX] The euro rose against the dollar on relief Germany's top court rejected lawsuits aimed at blocking participation in euro zone bailouts, but the euro looked vulnerable before a European Central Bank rate decision on Thursday. [USD/] The dollar index .DXY, measuring the dollar against a basket of currencies, was up down than 0.35 percent. FUNDAMENTALS * On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude CLV1 rose $1.15, or 1.3 percent, to $87.17 a barrel by 8:57 a.m. EDT (1257 GMT), trading from $86.15 to $87.42. * The low pressure system over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico had a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. [ID:nL3E7K72AG] * Hurricane Katia continued to move northwestward, the U.S. NHC said. [ID:nL3E7K729T] * The tropical depression fourteen was located in the Atlantic and moving toward the west near 20 mph/32 kmh. A westward or west-northwestward motion and an additional increase in forward speed are expected, the NHC said. * Iran has been importing four to five cargoes of gasoline per month, with most of it supplied by China. [ID:nL3E7K70UT] * Mexico's largest oil refinery shut down on Tuesday after a power outage but Pemex [PEMEX.UL] said it expected operations to resume by the end of the day. [ID:nN1E78520V] * Japan's July index of leading economic indicators rose 2.7 percent, after June's 3.8 percent rise. * German July industrial output rose 4.0 percent, far more than expected and coming after June's 1.0 percent fall. [ID:nB4E7JG02Y] * Muammar Gaddafi was last tracked heading for Libya's southern border, the man leading the hunt told Reuters, though the African nation Burkina Faso again denied any plan to offer the deposed leader refuge. [ID:nL5E7K65IB] MARKETS NEWS * U.S. stock index futures rose, following a three-day equities decline, on hopes the European debt crisis might ease after Germany's top court smoothed the way for Berlin's participation in bailout packages. [.N] * World stocks rose and the euro rebounded after Germany's top court rejected lawsuits aimed at blocking Germany's participation in euro-zone bailout packages. [MKTS/GLOB] * Copper prices rose as labor disputes at mines threatened supplies and the dollar slipped. [MET/L] * Gold fell 1 percent in Europe as skittish investors cashed in gains after Tuesday's rally to record highs. But euro zone debt concerns were still supportive. [GOL/] UPCOMING DATA/EVENTS * Oil inventory data from American Petroleum Institute at 4:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. * U.S. Energy Information Administration natural gas storage data at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Thursday. * U.S. Energy Information Administration oil inventory data at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) on Thursday. 8:57 LAST NET PCT LOW HIGH CURRENT DAY AGO CHNG CHNG VOL VOL CLc1 87.17 1.15 1.3% 86.15 87.42 39,965 307,284 CLc2 87.43 1.12 1.3% 86.45 87.68 11,678 63,514 LCOc1 113.51 0.62 0.6% 112.70 113.98 56,827 188,944 RBc1 2.8386 0.0160 0.6% 2.8210 2.8447 2,870 46,871 RBc2 2.7981 0.0193 0.7% 2.7789 2.8020 3,070 24,528 HOc1 3.0290 0.0188 0.6% 3.0096 3.0382 3,791 54,322 HOc2 3.0302 0.0104 0.3% 3.0194 3.0483 1,330 16,307 * NYMEX crude oil for October CLc1 rose $1.15 to $87.17 a barrel by 8:57 a.m. in volume of 39,965 lots. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by John Picinich)

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