UPDATE 6-Oil drops over 2% on China lockdowns, U.S. unemployment data

(Updates throughout, changes dateline from LONDON)
By Jessica Resnick-Ault
NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 2% on
Friday as concerns about Chinese cities in lockdown due to
coronavirus outbreaks tempered a rally driven by strong import
data from the world's biggest crude importer and U.S. plans for
a large stimulus package.
Brent was down $1.33, or 2.3%, at $55.17 by 11:59 a.m. EST
(1559 GMT), after gaining 0.6% on Thursday. U.S. West Texas
Intermediate crude CLc1 was down $1.17, or 2.1% at $52.44 a
barrel, having risen more than 1% the previous session.
Both benchmarks, which hit their highest in nearly a year
earlier in the week, were are heading for their first weekly
declines in three weeks.
While producers are facing unparalleled challenges balancing
supply and demand equations with calculus involving vaccine
rollouts versus lockdowns, financial contracts have been boosted
by strong equities and a weaker dollar, which makes oil cheaper,
along with strong Chinese demand.
These positives were called into question on Friday as the
dollar rose and China ramped up lockdown measures.
A nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package in the United
States unveiled by President-elect Joe Biden may increase oil
demand from the world's biggest crude consumer, but worse than
expected jobs data cast a shadow over the plans.
"In terms of being able to talk about demand, Asia was the
only brightspot," said John Kilduff, Partner at Again Capital
Management in New York. "This renewed lockdown is striking at
the heart of the demand picture in Asia. It's trouble."
Crude imports into China were up 7.3% in 2020, with record
arrivals in two out of four quarters as refineries increased
runs and low prices prompted stockpiling, customs data showed on
Thursday. But China reported the highest number of daily COVID-19
cases in more than 10 months on Friday, capping a week that has
resulted in more than 28 million people under lockdown as it
suffered its first coronavirus death on the mainland since
May. "The COVID-19 pandemic's spread is taking centre stage again
and traders are getting increasingly worried about the long
duration of European lockdown and about the new restrictions
(in) China," Bjornar Tonnage from Rystad Energy said.
"The market is structurally bullish, but it may be getting
too ahead of forward-looking fundamentals."

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CHART: U.S. oil may test resistance at $54.19 Brent oil may revisit Jan 13 high of $57.42
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(Additional Reporting by Noah Browning and Aaron Sheldrick;
Editing by Marguerita Choy and Louise Heavens)