* OPEC boosts forecast for 2010 global oil demand growth * China crude oil imports up in Feb vs Jan * Coming up: EIA data Wednesday 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) NEW YORK, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures edged lower on Wednesday in choppy trading ahead of the government's oil inventory report and after an industry report late Tuesday showed crude stockpiles rose more than expected last week. "Oil in New York is trading below $82 a barrel following a bearish report from the API yesterday afternoon. The market received a nice boost after China reported its crude oil imports rose sharply," Addison Armstrong, analyst at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut, said in a research note. China's crude oil imports in February increased from January and were the second largest on record on a daily basis. Also in February, China switched back to being a net refined fuel importer. [ID:nTOE62808W] The American Petroleum Institute's report on Tuesday showed crude oil stockpiles rose 6.5 million barrels in the week to March 5. [API/S] Gasoline stocks fell 3.2 million barrels and distillate inventories fell 2.8 million barrels, as imports for both and for crude oil and refined products fell, the API said. The U.S. Energy Information Administration report will arrive on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT). A Reuters survey ahead of the API report forecast for U.S. crude stocks to have risen 1.9 million barrels. The forecast was for distillate stocks to be down 900,000 barrels and gasoline supplies to have risen 200,000 barrels. [EIA/S[ PRICES * On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:52 a.m. EST (1452 GMT), April CLJ0 crude was down 10 cents, or 0.12 percent, at $81.49 a barrel, trading from $81.05 to $81.95. * In London, April Brent crude LCOJ0 edged down 5 cents, or 0.06 percent, to $79.86 a barrel, trading from $79.47 to $80.48. Trading for Brent also was choppy. * NYMEX April RBOB RBJ0 edged up 0.17 cent, or 0.08 percent, to $2.2620 a gallon, trading from $2.2580 to $2.2805. * NYMEX April heating oil HOJ0 was up only 0.02 cent, or 0.01 percent, at $2.09 a gallon, trading from $2.0821 to $2.1068. * The April/April heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $6.42. It ended at $6.28 on Tuesday. The April/April RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $13.64. It ended Tuesday at $13.44. * The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $8.78, based on the April 2015 contract Tuesday settlement at $90.17. The spread ended Tuesday at $8.68. TECHNICALS NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $80.40/$70.00 Technical support/resistance: NYMEX crude: $80.15/$83.95 NYMEX heating oil: $2.0540/$2.1255 NYMEX RBOB: $2.22/$2.30 For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nLDE6291IX] MARKET NEWS * OPEC's monthly report said world demand will rise by 880,000 barrels per day in 2010, up from its previous forecast of 810,000 bpd. It also pointed to a further rise in production from its members in defiance of agreed limits. [ID:nLDE6291EF] * OPEC ministers meet March 17 amid expectations they will keep production steady. * The euro was little changed against the dollar, which was up versus the basket of currencies index. .DXY * Wall Street rose at the open as a slew of new corporate deals and a surge in bailed-out U.S. financial stocks boosted investor sentiment. [.N] * Saudi Arabia will reduce crude supply in April to a major Asian buyer, the first cut to a big lifter since late 2009, but will keep full contracted volumes to others. [ID:nTOE62406V] Factbox on OPEC comments ahead of upcoming meeting: [ID:nLDE61P1NL] (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; editing by Jim Marshall)

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