NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose sharply midday on Monday, moving with the dollar, which weakened earlier. enticing investors to buy into commodities. But by midday, the dollar pared losses after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the U.S. central bank is attentive to changes in the greenback and the Fed's mandate will help ensure the dollar remains strong. [USD/] For details of Bernanke's comments, see [ID:nN16493345] Crude futures had rebounded from Friday's loss which developed amid demand worries after data showed souring consumer sentiment and a bigger trade deficit. "The main reason crude futures are up today is the weaker dollar. The greenback fell as money traders were selling the greenback in the face of better U.S. retail sales and business inventories," said Phil Flynn, analyst at PFGBest Research in Chicago. The dollar slipped in early trade as U.S. retail sales rose and traders saw discord over exchange rates among Asian and U.S. leaders as a cue to sell the greenback against currencies such as the euro. [USD/] Higher prices for major commodities such as oil and metals pushed up commodity shares on Wall Street, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX rising as much as 2.5 percent. [.N] Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October as consumers bought more motor vehicles and other goods, but the previous month's figures were revised sharply downward, a government report showed on Monday. [ID:nN16371323] PRICES * On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:35 p.m. EST (1735 GMT), December crude CLZ9 was up $2.40, or 3.14 percent, at $78.75 a barrel, trading from $76.32 to $79.24. On Friday it hit a low of $75.57, the cheapest since prices hit $74.79 on Oct. 15. * In London, January Brent crude LCOFO was up $2.29, or 3 percent, at $78.60, trading from $76.57 to $78.99. * NYMEX December RBOB RBZ9 was up 5.84 cents, or 3.05 percent, at $1.9746 a gallon, trading from $1.9150 to $1.9879. * NYMEX December heating oil HOZ9 was up 6.80 cents at $2.0341 a gallon, trading from $1.9631 to $2.0460. * The December/December RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $4.18, after ending at $4.13 on Friday. The December/December heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $6.68 after ending at $6.23 on Friday. * The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $11.65, based on the December 2014 contract settlement on Friday at $90.40. The spread ended at $14.05 on Friday. TECHNICALS NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $78.55/$78.92 Technical support/resistance: NYMEX crude: $76.00$77.50 NYMEX heating oil/$1.9355/$2.0000 NYMEX RBOB: $1.9000/$2.0000 For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nLG369408] MARKET NEWS * U.S. gold futures hit a record $1,134.90 an ounce on Monday as a weakened dollar boosted risk appetite for asset classes across the board, while silver and platinum group metals also scaled new highs. [GOL/] * Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) said on Monday that it restarted a gasoline-making fluid catalytic cracker at its 245,000 barrel-per-day Texas City, Texas, refinery over the weekend. [ID:nN16470120] * U.S. refinery margins fell in markets east of the Rockies on weaker product prices, according to a weekly report released Monday by Credit Suisse. [ID:nN16399494] * A barometer of manufacturing in New York State fell in November, suggesting factory activity moderating for the first time in four months, the New York Federal Reserve said in a report on Monday. [ID:nN15305681] * BP Plc (BP.L) on Monday said it found oil at its appraisal well in Kaskida field in the Gulf of Mexico. [ID:nBNG398316] * OPEC President Jose Botelho de Vasconcelos said on Monday it was still too early for the oil exporters' group to make a decision on production changes before its December meeting, as the market remained oversupplied. OPEC will next meet in Luanda, Angola, on Dec. 22. [ID:nLG328453]

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