Brent crude oil futures steadied above 111 dollars a barrel, today, underpinned by upbeat economic data from the United States and China, the world's two biggest oil consumers. So Brent futures slipped 30 cents, to 111.31 dollars a barrel. But U.S. crude rose 20 cents, to 97.85 dollars a barrel, after ending Friday with its largest weekly percentage gain since July 5. Crude imports by China, the world's second-largest consumer, reached 23.5 million tonnes in November, up 19.1 percent from October, on a daily basis. U.S. data released on Friday showed the jobless rate fell last month to its lowest since November 2008, fuelling speculation that the Federal Reserve might act when it holds its next policy meeting on December 17 and 18.