* Crude futures settle higher after choppy trade * Brent/U.S. crude spread remains less than $9/bbl NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters) - Cash crude differentials in theUnited States were mixed on Friday in light trading as thetransatlantic spread between Brent and U.S. crude futuresseesawed, traders and brokers said. Dollar-denominated crude futures shrugged off the strongerdollar and pushed higher after choppy trading, supported bystrong U.S. economic data. Brent's July contract was in the front-month spot after theJune contract expired on Thursday. Brent's premium to U.S. crude ended at $8.35 abarrel based on July contract settlements. The spread tradedfrom $7.89 to $8.88 during Friday's session. The spread between the July contracts ended at $8.33 onThursday, but the spread between the June contracts ended at$8.64 a barrel. Front-month Brent's premium to its corresponding U.S. crudeended at $7.65 on Monday, the lowest the Brent premium has beenat settlement since Jan. 20, 2011, when it ended at $6.99. It fell to $7.20 during Tuesday's session, the lowest sinceNov. 17, 2011, when it fell to $5.58 intraday. CASH CRUDE TRADES In the U.S. cash crude market, Light Louisiana Sweet for June delivery traded at $10.80, $10.85, $10.90 over the U.S.June crude futures contract, also known by its crudegrade of West Texas Intermediate (WTI). WTI is the U.S. light, sweet crude contract's benchmarkgrade deliverable at Cushing, Oklahoma. Those LLS trades were a slightly stronger range thanThursday's trades at $10.70, $10.75 and $10.85 per barrel overthe benchmark. July LLS traded at $9.00, $9.30 and $9.35 over the benchmarkfutures. A Gulf of Mexico-produced grade, Mars sour , had Junebarrels traded at $4.70, $4.80 and $5.00 above the benchmarkfutures, weaker after trading on Thursday at $5.15 above thebenchmark. July barrels of Mars traded on Friday at $4.50 over thebenchmark. Eugene Island crude traded at $7.25 above thebenchmark futures, trading within the bid/offer spread pegged onThursday at $7.15-$7.50 over the benchmark. A 300,000-barrel cargo of Alaska North Slope crude for Junedelivery traded at $9.85 over the calendar month average of thefront-month U.S. crude contract, a weaker differential by 10cents than the previous cargo deal completed. MIDLAND GRADES West Texas Intermediate crude at Midland traded at 25and 30 cents over the benchmark futures, after trading onThursday at 30, 40 and 45 cents over. West Texas Sour crude, also at Midland, had buyers'bids seen at 25 cents over the benchmark, with sellers' offerspegged at 30 cents over. Thursday's WTS trades were completed at25 and 30 cents over the benchmark. Midland crude grades have had differentials above thebenchmark futures recently on support from expectations for, andthen last week's restart of, a crude distillation unit at ValeroEnergy Corp's McKee, Texas, refinery. Also supporting Midland differentials in recent weeks wereincreases in pipeline capacity from the West Texas region to theU.S. Gulf Coast's refineries, traders said. CRUDE FUTURES SETTLE HIGHER Brent July crude rose 86 cents, or 0.83 percent, tosettle at $104.64 a barrel, having traded from $103.35 to$104.87. Expiring Brent June crude settled and went off theboard on Thursday at $103.80 a barrel. On Friday, U.S. June crude rose 86 cents, or 0.90percent, to settle at $96.02 a barrel, having traded from $94.79to $96.49. The U.S. June contract expires May 21. U.S. July crude rose 84 cents to settle at $96.29 a barrel. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Peter Galloway)
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