March 9 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil may hover between $61 and $62 a barrel in New York next week as U.S. inventories decline and the heating-fuel season nears an end.

Eighteen of 40 analysts surveyed, or 45 percent, said oil prices will be little changed. Thirteen, or 33 percent, said prices will increase and nine forecast a drop. The last time a plurality of survey respondents said prices would remain steady was in November. Last week, 40 percent of respondents said prices would rise.

U.S. crude-oil, gasoline and heating-oil stockpiles declined last week, according to an Energy Department report released on March 7. Warmer weather is forecast to cover the U.S. by this weekend, cutting consumption. Temperatures in most of the country will be above normal from March 14 to March 22, according to the National Weather Service.

Crude oil for April delivery fell $1.59, or 2.6 percent, to $60.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest close since Feb. 20. Oil is down 2.6 percent this week.

The oil survey has correctly predicted the direction of prices 54 percent of the time since it was introduced in April 2004.

     Bloomberg's survey of oil analysts and traders, conducted
each Thursday, asks for an assessment of whether crude oil
futures are likely to rise, fall or remain neutral in the
coming week. The results were:

                    RISE      NEUTRAL    FALL
                     13         18        9

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Shenk in New York at mshenk1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 9, 2007 16:14 EST