--Bank of Japan's intervention boosts dollar, pressures dollar-denominated oil futures --Macro-economic news seen driving oil futures this week, analysts say --Brent/WTI spread narrows by 40% since mid-October amid changing supply/demand balance By Konstantin Rozhnov Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES LONDON (Dow Jones)--Crude-oil futures eased Monday as the dollar strengthened after the Bank of Japan intervened in currency markets to cap the yen and amid a lack of fresh market-moving headlines, analysts said. "I would see it as normal day-to-day trading after a bullish week," said EGL analyst Andy Sommer. At 1138 GMT, the front-month December Brent contract on London's ICE futures exchange was 43c, or 0.4%, lower at $109.48 a barrel. The front-month December contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading down 75c, or 0.8%, at $92.57 a barrel. Oil, a dollar-denominated commodity, becomes more expensive for holders of other currencies when the U.S. currency strengthens. The oil futures market has paused after strong gains seen last week and prior to a flow of macro-economic news later this week, said Olivier Jacob, managing director of Swiss consultancy Petromatrix. Chicago October PMI, a closely watched U.S. business survey, is due 1345 GMT Monday. Later in the week, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank's interest rates decisions, U.S. October unemployment data and China's statistics will be eyed for further clues on the outlook for the global economy and, as a result, oil demand. Europe's sovereign debt crisis will also remain in focus this week, said Sommer. "The euphoria over the latest Eurozone 'deal' is almost finished as players consider the details ahead of the [European Union] Cannes summit on 3-4 November," said VTB Capital's Andrey Kryuchenkov. Meanwhile, the price gap between the world's two main oil benchmarks, Brent and Nymex crude, narrowed to almost $16 a barrel in early trading Monday, shrinking by more than 40% since the intra-day record of $28.07 reached Oct. 14. It stood at $16.95 a barrel at 1143 GMT. Nymex crude has been supported by better U.S. macro-economic releases and a tighter supply and demand balance, while Europe's debt woes and improved oil production situation in the North Sea have pressured Brent. The Brent/WTI spread is now "more in line with our 2012 outlook of between $10 and $15 per barrel," JBC Energy said in a note. At 1138 GMT, the ICE's gasoil contract for November delivery was down $7.50, or 0.8%, at $954.75 a metric ton, while Nymex gasoline for November delivery was 124 points, or 0.5%, lower at $2.6698 a gallon. -By Konstantin Rozhnov, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207 842 9956; konstantin.rozhnov@dowjones.com

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