By Mari Iwata Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Crude-oil futures held relatively steady in positive territory in Asia Thursday, fluctuating around $101 a barrel as a bigger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories failed to shake support from continued tensions over Iran's alleged development of nuclear arms. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in February traded at $101.35 a barrel at 0741 GMT, up $0.48 in the Globex electronic session. February Brent crude on London's ICE Futures exchange rose $0.73 to $112.97 a barrel. Volumes remained relatively thin, as some traders kept to the sidelines ahead of the European Central Bank's rate decision, to be announced at 1245 GMT, and the outcomes of Italian and Spanish government bond auctions, which will be held on Thursday in Europe. Negative outcomes from these events "may send prices below $100," Daiichi Shohin analyst Koichi Murakami said. Japan's Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Thursday morning after a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that the country will cut Iranian crude imports. But crude futures prices barely budged after Azumi's remarks, as Japan is widely understood to be likely to find replacement barrels without difficulty. "The wider picture has remained unchanged," Murakami said. Jim Ritterbusch, president of oil trading advisory firm Ritterbusch & Associates, said in his note to investors that crude will stay at current high levels on the back of expectations that U.S. economic data due to be released over the next few days will prove bullish, while there is little assertiveness among sellers, as traders await clear developments regarding Iran sanctions. Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock for February--the benchmark gasoline contract--rose 157 points to $2.7790 a gallon, while February heating oil traded at $3.0833, 187 points higher. ICE gasoil for January changed hands at $966.50 a metric ton, down $4.50 from Wednesday's settlement. -By Mari Iwata, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-6269-2798; mari.iwata@dowjones.com

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