(Corrects milestones in paragraphs 6 and 7, fixes percentagechange in headine and lead)
* U.S. manufacturing data stronger than expected
* China PMI better than expected, Euro zone sees growth
* Supply disruptions in Libya, Nigeria, Iraq
By Nicolas Medina Mora Perez
NEW YORK, Aug 1 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil prices rosealmost 3 percent on Thursday, narrowing the discount to EuropeanBrent for a second day, on a wave of surprisingly upbeat globaleconomic data and supply disruptions in Africa and Iraq.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemploymentbenefits fell to a 5-1/2-year low last week, and a closelywatched index of U.S. manufacturing activity was at its highest in two years. A China industrial index beat expectations whileeuro zone manufacturing returned to growth.
The broad rally in riskier assets also drew from Wednesday'smeeting of the Federal Reserve, which showed no sign of planningto curb its bond buying at its next meeting in September. TheS&P 500 stock index rose 1 percent to a record high and coppergained 2 percent.
"The combination of a strong stock market, strong economicdata, and the fact that the Fed said they were worried aboutdeflation, looks double-barrelled bullish to me," said PhilFlynn, an analyst with Price Futures Group in Chicago.
"As fear of the great taper go down, we seem to be goingback to the sane old days when good economic news supported oilprices instead of sending bearish signals."
U.S. crude outpaced Brent, adding $2.86 to settle at$107.89 a barrel, after reaching $108.06, the highest intradayprice in 10 days.
Brent crude gained $1.84 to settle at $109.54 abarrel, after reaching intraday highs of $109.64, its strongestsince July 16. It ended July with the largest monthly percentagegain since August 2012.
The North Sea benchmark's premium to U.S. crude
U.S. gasoline futures were also stronger, rising 4cents to $3.04 a gallon.
China's official purchasing managers' index was also higherthan expected, and a survey showed euro zone manufacturing beganto grow in July, suggesting the region might pull out ofrecession this quarter.
U.S. stock markets jumped, with the S&P 500 index topping 1,700 points for the first time.
SUPPLY DISRUPTION
Concern over supplies from Libya, Iraq and Nigeria alsounderpinned prices. The disruptions helped trim OPEC output to afour-month low in July, according to a Reuters survey publishedon Wednesday.
In Libya, protests at oilfields and terminals cut averagesupply to 1.15 million barrels per day in July, according to thesurvey, down 150,000 bpd from June. Libya's oil minister saidoutput had fallen 330,000 bpd from 1.4 million bpd on Monday.
Iraq's production has also come under pressure as Sunniinsurgents target its northern pipeline, while technicalproblems are curbing output in the south.
Europe's biggest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, said on Thursday that a surge in oil thefts in Nigeriacontributed to a lower second-quarter profit, while Italy's EniSpA cut its production target and highlighted Nigerianoutages.
Lending further support, oil inventories at the Cushing,Oklahoma, delivery point for the U.S. crude contract fell for afifth straight week, government data showed on Wednesday,although overall stocks increased. (Additional reporting by Alex Lawler and Jessica Jaganathan;Editing by William Hardy, Marguerita Choy, Andre Grenon and NickZieminski)