PERTH (Reuters) - Oil prices rose above $85 a barrel on Monday, buoyed by a drop in the U.S. dollar and bullish data that showed Chinese crude imports jumping to their second-highest monthly level in March.
Euro zone finance ministers approved a giant 30-billion-euro ($40 billion) emergency aid mechanism for debt-stricken Greece on Sunday but stressed Athens had not requested the plan be activated yet.
The news drove the euro to its highest levels in nearly a month in Asian trade, while the dollar index .DXY fell 1.1 percent against a basket of currencies on Monday.
U.S. crude for May delivery rose 30 cents to $85.22 a barrel by 0446 GMT, after having risen by as much as 79 cents. London Brent crude gained 46 cents to $85.29.
A weaker dollar tends to support oil prices, making dollar-denominated commodities cheaper for other currency holders.
"The weaker U.S. dollar and positive Chinese trade data are the two main supporting factors," said David Moore, an analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
China's strong demand for oil and copper showed no let-up in March, with imports rising rapidly despite higher prices as factories returned to work in earnest after the long Lunar New Year holidays.
Crude imports by China jumped 13.8 percent from the previous month and reached 4.95 million barrels a day, preliminary data released by the General Administration of Customs showed on April 10. March's oil import levels were just a touch below December's record 20.9 million tonnes.
