--Crude slightly higher as dollar retreats --IEA throws cold water on speculation of stockpile release --Iran tensions ratchet lower, albeit slightly By Dan Strumpf Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Oil futures edged higher Friday, paring their losses for the week, as the dollar retreated and the International Energy Agency cooled expectations for an imminent release of emergency oil stockpiles. Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $105.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on ICE Futures Europe rose 83 cents, or 0.7%, to $123.97 a barrel. The commodity was still lower on the week, with Nymex futures off about 1%, largely on disappointing macroeconomic data from China, the world's biggest oil consumer. "On the demand side, the economic data has become more mixed," said James Zhang, commodity strategist at Standard Bank in London. "The end of last year through the beginning of this year, it was largely positive. Now it's not as positive." Futures took cues from currency markets on Friday, with the dollar at a two-week low against the euro as traders cashed out negative euro bets. A weaker dollar typically buoys oil prices by making the dollar-denominated commodity cheaper for holders of other currencies. The common currency recently rose 0.3% to $1.32386. Also Friday, IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said that global crude supplies haven't been disrupted and suppliers could increase output if needed, throwing cold water on expectations that the energy watchdog was coordinating a release of emergency oil stockpiles anytime soon. "At this moment, there is no disruption of supplies, and we are not planning to release stocks," she told reporters on tech sidelines of an energy summit. "The assurance is that if there's demand, the Saudis will meet the demand." Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and has offered assurances that it will raise production to offset supply disruptions. The prospect of additional supply disruptions has come into increased focus in recent months amid escalating tensions between Iran and Western countries. The U.S. and its allies have been applying increasingly stringent sanctions against Tehran in an effort to curb its nuclear work. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, although the U.S. and Europe are concerned that the country is developing a nuclear weapon. Tensions, however, have cooled recently, said Matt Smith, energy analyst at Summit Energy. "There has also been little rhetoric out of Iran recently, although the U.S. keeps up the pressure on recipients of Iranian oil," he said in a research report. Front-month April reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, recently traded 0.88 cent, or 0.3%, higher at $3.3484 a gallon. April heating oil added 1.5 cent, or 0.5%, to $3.1937 a gallon. -By Dan Strumpf, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2818; dan.strumpf@dowjones.com.

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