Brent crude futures up over $1 on weaker dollar

NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil futures shot up more than a dollar on Friday, supported by a weakened dollar after the euro rose on confidence in a recovery in Europe, and recent tightness in North Sea oil supplies.

At 1:27 p.m. EST (1827 GMT), ICE Brent crude for March delivery <LCOH1> was $1.02, or 1.06 percent, at $97.60 a barrel. Minutes earlier, it hit a session high of $97.68. Much earlier in the day, it hit a low of $96.26.

The Brent premium against U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate widened further, to $8.40 a barrel, the widest since Feb. 12, 2009, when it hit $8.73. (Reporting by Gene Ramos)