* Uncertainty about Europe continues to limit oil prices * Muammar Gaddafi reportedly captured, dead from wounds * Coming up: NYMEX Nov crude contract expiration Thursday NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell on Thursday in choppy trading as the November contract approached expiration and as uncertainty about European efforts to address the region's debt problems continued to weigh on oil prices. The German government does not rule out the possibility of postponing a European Union summit planned for this Sunday, German newspaper Die Welt reported, helping limit Brent crude's gains and keeping pressure on U.S. crude. Both U.S. and Brent crude contracts had earlier been supported by news of the latest plans by European officials for addressing the region's debt problems and by a tight supply picture and lower inventories. European equities had trimmed losses after a plan outlining how the euro zone's rescue fund will be able to intervene in bond markets to ease the region's debt crisis reassured jittery investors. [.EU] A euro zone country would have to have a sustainable debt and external position to qualify for EFSF support in the secondary bond market, guidelines for the bailout fund obtained by Reuters showed on Thursday. [ID:nP6E7KG02P] U.S. crude stocks fell 4.73 million barrels last week, against expectations stockpiles would be higher, according to Wednesday's report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. [EIA/S] Products stocks also fell, the EIA said, much more than expected by analysts. Tight supplies in the North Sea have added support to both Brent and U.S. crude futures as U.S. stockpiles recede. Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered as fighters battling to complete an eight-month-old uprising against his rule overran his hometown Sirte, Libya's interim rulers said. [ID:nL5E7LJ3ZE] The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it could not confirm that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been captured. [ID:nN1E79J07Q] FUNDAMENTALS * On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude CLX1 fell 36 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $85.75 a barrel by 9:27 a.m. EDT (1327 GMT), trading from $85.27 to $86.94. * NYMEX December crude fell 41 cents to $85.89 a barrel. * China's state oil majors are curbing diesel sales to independent dealers as domestic supplies tighten and a recent fuel price cut weighs on margins. [ID:nL3E7LK17P] * U.S. initial jobless claims fell last week, but less than analysts expected. [ID:nN1E79J0BQ] MARKETS NEWS * Stock index futures rose as investors looking for an earnings season rally maintained interest in the market after a sharp fall the previous session, but concerns over Europe's debt crisis capped gains. [.N] * The dollar extended gains against the yen and pared losses against the euro after data showed initial U.S. weekly jobless claims fell in the latest week. [USD/] * Copper fell more than 4 percent to its lowest in two weeks as the euro zone's debt crisis persists and as concerns about an economic slowdown weighed on the demand outlook. [MET/L] UPCOMING DATA/EVENTS * U.S. September leading economic indicators. 10 a.m. EDT * U.S. Energy Information Administration natural gas storage due at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Thursday. * NYMEX November crude contract expires on Thursday. 9:27 LAST NET PCT LOW HIGH CURRENT DAY AGO CHNG CHNG VOL VOL CLc1 85.75 -0.36 -0.4% 85.27 86.94 7,200 203,765 CLc2 85.89 -0.41 -0.5% 85.31 87.12 88,685 253,423 LCOc1 108.90 0.50 0.5% 107.65 109.64 110,850 250,461 RBc1 2.6703 -0.0012 0.0% 2.6500 2.6930 2,591 39,948 RBc2 2.6453 0.0004 0.0% 2.6237 2.6680 6,459 41,371 HOc1 3.0005 0.0193 0.7% 2.9730 3.0179 5,108 53,776 HOc2 2.9960 0.0160 0.6% 2.9700 3.0133 9,297 54,536 (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by John Picinich)

Source