* Goldman Sachs raises end-2009 oil price forecast

 * U.S. jobless benefits claims fall for 3rd week

 NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose on
Thursday on news that the number of U.S. workers filing new
jobless claims fell for the third straight week and continuing
claims fell for the first time since January.

 Crude futures had been up earlier on a higher end-of-2009
price forecast from Goldman Sachs (GS.N).

 "Crude and products futures reversed course overnight,
after yesterday's steep decline, as Goldman Sachs raised its
price forecast for oil," Addison Armstrong, analyst at
Tradition Energy, said in a research note.

 The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless
benefits fell for a third straight week last week, government
data showed on Thursday.

 "The market really liked those (jobless claims) numbers,"
said a California-based broker.

 The number of people staying on the benefit rolls after an
initial week of aid fell in the week ended May 23 for the first
time since the week of Jan. 3. It was also the first time in 17
weeks that they did not set a record. [ID:nN04201550]

 The U.S. Energy Information Administration's report
Wednesday showed domestic crude inventories rose 2.9 million
barrels, against forecasts of a drawdown. [EIA/S]

 Gasoline supplies dipped 200,000 barrels, against a
forecast for a 400,000-barrel build. Distillate stocks rose 1.6
million barrels, more than had been forecast.

 The EIA natural gas storage report will be released at
10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT). A Reuters analyst survey yielded a
forecast for supplies to be up 114 billion cubic feet.

 PRICES

 * On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:10 a.m. EDT
(1410 GMT), July crude CLN9 was up $1.62, or 2.45 percent, at
$67.74 a barrel, trading from $65.92 to $68.25.

 Tuesday's $69.05 intraday peak was the highest front-month
price since $70.46 was reached on Nov. 5.

 * In London, July Brent crude LCON9 rose $1.85, or 2.81
percent, to $67.73 barrel, trading from $65.84 to $68.26.

 * NYMEX July RBOB RBN9 rose 1.92 cents, or 1.01 percent,
to $1.9208 a gallon, trading from $1.8940 to $1.9535.

 * NYMEX July heating oil HON9 rose 3.04 cents, or 1.75
percent, to $1.7688 a gallon, trading from $1.7350 to $1.7895.

 * The July/July RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at
$12.98. It ended at $13.75 on Wednesday. The July/July heating
oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $6.64. It ended at $6.89 on
Wednesday.

 * The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $14.45, based
on the July 2014 contract settlement on Wednesday at $82.19.
The spread ended at $16.07 on Wednesday.

 TECHNICALS

 NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $65.06/$61.85

 Technical support/resistance:

 NYMEX crude: $65.00/$70.00

 NYMEX heating oil: $1.7180/$1.8410

 NYMEX RBOB: $1.8850/$1.95

 For a report on technicals click [ID:nL4385284]

 MARKET NEWS

 * Goldman Sachs (GS.N) in a research note raised its end of
2009 oil price forecast to $85 a barrel from $65 and introduced
a new end of 2010 forecast of $95. [ID:nL4422610]

 * The volume of refined fuel stored on ships floating at
sea has jumped nearly 71 percent since early April, industry
sources said on Thursday. [ID:nLV86912]
 (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Walter Bagley)