The crude-oil markets were holding steady Friday with U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, due later in the global day, likely to be closely watched for signs of growth or decline in the giant oil-consuming economy. Even a negative number from the jobs report would be unlikely to rock oil markets, said Michael Poulsen of Global Risk Management, because a drop in employment numbers would be unlikely to affect the Federal Reserve's stimulus-removal plans. "In an economy with 154 million workers, we find it very hard to believe the Fed will change its policy if a single [ jobs report] number is 50, 100 or even 200,000 off (that is about 0.1% of all workers)," Mr. Poulsen wrote in a note to clients. March Brent crude on London's ICE Futures exchange was down 5 cents at $107.14 a barrel. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in March was down 49 cents, or 0.5%, at $97.37 a barrel. Some volatility could return to the North Sea-based Brent market later in the year, said JBC Energy in a note to clients, as the important Buzzard field undergoes maintenance. There will be maintenance of the field, which produces Forties crude, in the second quarter of 2014, and again for 14 days in August. "2014 has already recorded a number of unplanned Buzzard field outages and this extended turnaround may be a bid to stabilize output. This implies that Brent prices will see spikes going forward, as Forties is generally the price-setter for the global benchmark," said JBC. They said that ongoing arbitrage of the North Sea crude to South Korea and Chine could also tighten availability this year. Recently the ICE's gas oil contract for February delivery was up $2.75 at $909 a metric ton, while Nymex gasoline for March delivery was down 59 points at $2.6771 a gallon.

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