The following are New York midsession prices and market updates for precious metals and copper: GOLD * Gold for February delivery rises $3.00 to $824.00 an ounce at 12:14 p.m. EST (1714 GMT) on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. * The range spanned $831.40 to $814, which marked the lowest price since Dec. 12. * A technical rebound and bargain hunting cited after Monday's 4 percent decline - traders. * Gold largely followed a rising crude market, as consolidation seen after February futures held support at $814 an ounce - floor trader. * U.S. crude futures jumped $1 on reports of output cut by top producer Saudi Arabia [O/R] * February could rebound to an area between $831 to $835 an ounce, which was Monday's breakdown level - trader. * Spot gold was at $823.00 an ounce, up 0.5 percent compared with the last trade on Monday. * London afternoon gold fix was set at $826.50 an ounce. SILVER * March trades largely flat, down 3.0 cents to $10.720 an ounce on profit taking in spite of gold's gains. * The range was $10.415 to $10.845. * Spot silver was quoted at $10.68 an ounce, up 0.8 percent from its previous session close. * Silver was fixed in London at $10.62 an ounce. PLATINUM * NYMEX April platinum drops $19.40, or 2 percent, to $954.50 an ounce on weaker stock performance of U.S. automakers amid a flat overall equity market. * Spot platinum was quoted at $944.50 an ounce, 1.2 percent lower than its last finish. PALLADIUM * NYMEX March palladium falls $2.45, or 1.3 percent, to $184.70 an ounce, tracking platinum's weakness. * Spot palladium was quoted at $181.00 an ounce, 1.6 percent lower compared with its previous close on Monday. COPPER * COMEX copper for March delivery up 2.70 cents, or 1.8 percent, at $1.5155 a lb. * The session range from a one-week low at $1.4135 to $1.5240. * Copper up in short-covering rebound from one-week low, with better-than-expected Chinese import data for December adding to the positive reversal - brokers. * Chinese copper imports jumped 32 percent in December from the previous month, but for the year, fell 5.1 percent from the previous year as the slowing global economy hit China's growth. [nHKG96787] * Copper under early pressure from reports this week that China's State Reserves Bureau (SRB) was in no immediate hurry to restart its copper buying program. * The SRB saw "no massive rush" to resume its government-ordered copper buying program, an official with direct knowledge of the state body's plans said. [nSP348764] * London Metal Exchange-monitored warehouse stocks went up 5,350 tonnes on Tuesday to a five-year high at 374,850 tonnes. * COMEX copper stocks held steady at 35,257 short tons as of Friday. * London Metal Exchange copper for three months delivery settled up $120 at $3,370 a tonne in a rebound from an early 4-percent drop to a session low at $3,120.

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