U.S. crude futures pare losses after EIA data

NEW YORK, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices pared losses on Thursday after a government report showed crude stocks rose last week [EIA/S], but the surprise build was less than the rise reported by industry the previous day.

A U.S. dollar bounce on news that first-time jobless claims were less than expected last week in the United States, profit taking and concern about China's inflation had pressured crude prices ahead of the oil inventory data.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, expiring February crude <CLG1> fell $2.51, or 2.76 percent, to $88.35 a barrel at 11:09 a.m. EST (1609 GMT), trading from $88.00 to $90.86.

Prices were down about $2.75 before the report.

NYMEX March crude <CLH1> fell $2.53 to $89.28 a barrel, trading from $88.90 to $91.80. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by David Gregorio)