UPDATE 7-Oil rises after robust China data but J&J vaccine pause weighs

* China's robust exports, surging imports boost economic
recovery
* US pauses J&J vaccine over blood clots, Europe rollout
delayed
* U.S. crude stockpiles seen down for third week -Reuters
poll
* OPEC raises 2021 demand growth forecast
* Coming up: API inventory data at 2030 GMT

(Adds settlement prices)
By Jessica Resnick-Ault
NEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher
Tuesday on strong Chinese import data, but the rally was capped
by concerns that pauses on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could
delay economic recovery and limit oil demand growth.
Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 settled up 39 cents, or
0.6%, at $63.67 a barrel, while U.S. crude oil futures CLc1
gained 48 cents, or 0.8%, to $60.18 a barrel. Both contracts
have recorded changes of less than 1% for five straight
sessions.
"We've been trading in a range, and need clear demand data
and direction on U.S. inventories to break out of this trough,"
said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in
Chicago.
China's exports grew at a robust pace in March in yet
another boost to the nation's economic recovery, as global
demand picked up amid progress in COVID-19 vaccinations. Import
growth surged to the highest in four years. Crude oil imports into China jumped 21% in March from a low
base a year earlier as refiners ramped up operations.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in its
monthly report raised its forecast for 2021 oil demand growth by
70,000 barrels per day from its previous forecast to 5.95
million bpd, or 6.6%. Also supporting prices ahead of weekly data, U.S. crude oil
stockpiles were expected to have fallen last week for a third
straight week, while distillate and gasoline inventories likely
grew, according to analysts in a Reuters poll. EIA/S
Still, U.S. oil output from seven major shale formations is
expected to rise for a third straight month, the U.S. Energy
Information Administration said on Monday.
The slow rate of vaccinations in Europe and anticipation of
additional supply of oil from Iran in the coming months capped
price gains.
Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N said it would delay the rollout of
its COVID-19 vaccine in Europe and was reviewing cases of
extremely rare blood clots in people after U.S. federal health
agencies recommended pausing the use of the vaccine as six women
under 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Monday it had
fired 17 drones and two ballistic missiles at targets in Saudi
Arabia, including Saudi Aramco (SE:2222) facilities in Jubail and Jeddah.

Meanwhile, Tehran has said an explosion on Sunday at its key
nuclear site was an act of sabotage by arch-foe Israel and vowed
revenge. "The rise in geopolitical tension will only have a notable
bullish impact on oil prices if it is coupled with actual
physical supply disruption," PVM analysts said in a note.