* Unrest in Bahrain, region, support oil prices * Japan's struggle with nuclear crisis eyed * Coming up: NYMEX April crude options expiry on Thursday NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices rose on Thursday, edging back above $100 a barrel as protests and unrest in Bahrain and the region kept investors worries about potential supply disruptions. The conflict in Libya and diplomatic efforts to forge a response, along with Japan's efforts to deal with its hobbled nuclear reactors, continued to have the attention of investors. ICE Brent futures, with the May contract now the front-month after April's expiration on Wednesday, rose Thursday. NYMEX April crude oil options expire Thursday, which could add volatility to a market already easily roiled by headlines from different regions of the globe. FUNDAMENTALS * On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude CLJ1 rose $1.92 to $99.90 a barrel by 8:20 a.m. EDT (1220 GMT), trading from $96.60 to $100.03. * Bahrain arrested at least six opposition leaders a day after its crackdown on protests by the Shi'ite Muslim majority drew rare U.S. criticism and raised fears of a regional conflict. [ID:nLDE72F2Q5] * The top U.N. human rights official urged Bahrain to rein in its security forces, citing allegations that they had killed, beaten and carried out arbitrary arrests of protesters, and attacked medical workers. [ID:nLDE72G0OM] * State-owned Bahrain Petroleum Co (BAPCO) has partially shutdown production due to staff shortages caused by unrest in the kingdom, trade sources told Reuters. It was unclear how much output was affected at the refinery which has a capacity of more than 250,000 barrels per day of crude. [ID:nLDE72G0RH] * Saudi Shi'ites marched in the kingdom's oil-producing east on Wednesday, demanding the release of prisoners and voicing support for Shi'ites in nearby Bahrain, an activist and witnesses said. [ID:nLDE72F2M3] * Libyan government soldiers battled rebels on the road to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi as the United States raised the possibility of air strikes to stop Muammar Gaddafi's forces. [ID:nLDE72G0UF] * Japanese military helicopters dumped water on an overheating nuclear plant while the United States expressed growing alarm about leaking radiation and said it was sending aircraft to help Americans leave the country. [ID:nL3E7EH18S] MARKETS NEWS * U.S. stock index futures bounced, a day after Wall Street wiped out much of its gains for the year, but news on Japan's nuclear crisis was set to drive trading in another volatile day for markets. [.N] * The yen hit a record high versus the dollar as quake-hit Japan's nuclear crisis unleashed a global exit from risk, while world stocks ticked higher after Tokyo stocks came off earlier lows. [MKTS/GLOB] * The euro rose to a four-month high versus a broadly weaker dollar on solid demand at a Spanish bond auction and speculation that euro zone interest rates may be set to rise by April. [FRX/] * Gold was up, after early slippage from selling to cover investment losses related to Japan's earthquake and nuclear emergency. UPCOMING DATA/EVENTS * The U.S. February consumer prices index due at 0830 EDT (1230 GMT) is expected to rise 0.4 percent, the same as January, and is seen up just 0.1 percent in the month when food and energy prices are subtracted. * U.S. weekly initial jobless claims at 0830 EDT are forecast at 387,000, compared to 397,000 last week. * At 0915 EDT, U.S. February industrial production is expected to rise 0.6 percent, after falling 0.1 percent in January. * At 1000 EDT, the U.S. February index of leading economic indicators is expected to show a rise of 1.0 percent. * U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly natural gas storage data, 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) Thursday. * NYMEX April crude oil options expiration on Thursday. 8:20 LAST NET PCT LOW HIGH CURRENT DAY AGO CHNG CHNG VOL VOL CLc1 99.90 1.92 2.0% 96.60 100.03 38,893 388,736 CLc2 100.88 1.93 1.9% 97.62 101.00 24,872 218,453 LCOc1 113.17 2.56 2.3% 109.45 113.49 62,389 23,225 RBc1 2.8838 0.0430 1.5% 2.8150 2.8935 1,837 52,781 RBc2 2.8935 0.0432 1.5% 2.8211 2.8999 1,697 38,360 HOc1 3.0480 0.0523 1.7% 2.9658 3.055 3,335 63,626 HOc2 3.0557 0.0510 1.7% 2.9728 3.0616 1,723 33,062 * NYMEX crude oil for April CLc1 rose $1.92 to $99.90 a barrel by 8:20 a.m. in volume of 38,893 lots. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by John Picinich)

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