U.S. crude futures up $1 on platform fire, Earl

NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices rose more than $1 on Thursday, lifted above $75 a barrel by an oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Earl's possible impact on East Coast refineries.

U.S. equities were boosted by encouraging pending home sales, retail sales and jobless claims, adding to the lift in oil prices along with the weaker dollar.

Hurricane Earl's threat to the U.S. East Coast refineries also helped push RBOB gasoline prices higher.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude <CLV0> rose $1.15, or 1.56 percent, to $75.06 a barrel by 2:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT), trading from $73.11 to $75.14.

October RBOB <RBV0> gasoline futures rose 3.47 cents, or 1.84 percent, to $1.9238 a gallon, trading from $1.8737 to $1.9274. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons)