Brent premium over U.S. WTI widest in 23 months

NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil's premium against U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose to a 23-month high on Friday as Brent was lifted by a weakened dollar after the euro rose on confidnece in European recovery, and recent tightness in North Sea oil supplies.

At 12:44 p.m. EST (1744 GMT), ICE Brent crude for March delivery <LCOH1> was up 81 cents, or 0.84 percent, at $97.39 while NYMEX March crude <CLH1> was down 45 cents, or 0.5 percent.

The Brent/WTI spread further widened to $8.28 minutes later. The spread surpassed the Jan. 14 high of $8.24 and was at its highest since Feb. 12, when it hit $8.73.

NYMEX crude has weakened as weekly government inventory data on Thursday showed that U.S. crude inventories rose last week, after an unbroken stretch of drawdowns in the previous six weeks. Resumption the oil flow earlier in the week of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, a major artery for U.S. crude production, after a disruption due to a leak, also contributed to the softening of NYMEX crude futures. (Reporting by Gene Ramos)