-- Oil futures fall on a mix of weak economic data, oil release talk -- Crude prices likely to be pressured, analysts say -- Key U.S. macro-economic releases eyed By Konstantin Rozhnov Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES LONDON (Dow Jones)--Crude-oil futures were lower Thursday amid talk about a release from oil strategic reserves and worsening economic sentiment in the euro-zone, while market participants await key U.S. economic data. At 1110 GMT, the front-month May Brent contract on London's ICE futures exchange was 38 cents, or 0.3%, lower at $123.78 a barrel. The front-month May contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading down 61 cents, or 0.6%, at $104.80 a barrel. Oil futures headed down along with European stock markets and the euro after the European Commission's economic sentiment indicator for the euro-zone fell unexpectedly. Worries that an economic slowdown in Europe will weaken oil demand have pressured oil futures for months. The news came on top of already-bearish sentiment after a build-up in U.S. oil inventories reported Wednesday and expectations of a possible coordinated oil release from strategic reserves following France's comments about such talks. "The headwind buffeting the oil price is becoming noticeably stronger," Commerzbank said in a note. Oil prices are likely to be pressured, said James Zhang, commodity strategist at Standard Bank. "You have the world's largest oil producer and the largest oil consumer both come out to say you want to bring oil prices down, and you have to question yourself where you stand: whether you're in a position to call their bluff. I don't think people would be confident enough to take on that position," he said. A sustained rebound in Brent remains unlikely in some more jittery trading at the end of the week as attention turns to macro-economic developments, said VTB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov. The third estimate of the U.S. economic growth at the end of last year and the U.S. weekly jobs report will be published at 1230 GMT. If data for the world's largest oil consumer disappoint, it will further pressure oil futures, Zhang said. At 1110 GMT, the ICE's gasoil contract for April delivery was down $2.50, or 0.2%, at $1,021.50 a metric ton, while Nymex gasoline for April delivery was 93 points, or 0.3%, higher at $3.4048 a gallon. -By Konstantin Rozhnov, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207 842 9956; konstantin.rozhnov@dowjones.com

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