* Tropical storm Irene downgraded from hurricane
* Bernanke's stimulus comments provide support
* Investors eyeing key U.S. jobs data on Friday
By Francis Kan
SINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Brent crude fell below $111 on Monday as oil refiners and terminals along the U.S. east coast weathered the worst of a tropical storm, easing fears of fuel supply disruptions in the world's top oil consumer.
Brent crude
Most oil refineries, terminals and pipelines along the east coast weathered Tropical Storm Irene, downgraded from hurricane levels. Seven refineries with a total of 1.23 million barrels per day capacity - 73 percent of the 1.7 million bpd total in the U.S. Northeast - were in the storm's projected path.
"Expectations of refiners being affected added a risk premium, but now that the impact is not as bad as expected, we are seeing a little pull back in prices," said Ben Le Brun, market analyst with CMC Markets in Sydney.
The U.S. Northeast is the second-smallest of the five U.S. refining regions, with most of its fuel being supplied by pipeline from the Gulf Coast or tanker ship from Europe.
Nuclear plants along the east coast were also unaffected, with most expected to restart or boost output once the storm passes. The storm has left at least 15 dead, as many as 3.6 million customers without electricity and thousands of downed trees.
Looking ahead, participants will be watching a slew of economic data out of the U.S. this week for further insight into the health of the world's biggest economy. The key will be the key non-farms payroll jobs data due out on Friday.
The market received some support after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke left the door open for further action to stimulate the economy in comments made on Friday.
The central bank's policy panel would meet for two days next month instead of one to discuss additional monetary stimulus, Bernanke said, offering some hope to investors. But the chairman stopped short of announcing any new stimulus measures.
Brent oil
LIBYAN OUTPUT
The potential for oil supplies to resume from Libya continued to be a downside risk for prices, analysts said.
Libya's battered oil towns are struggling to get back to work after months of back-and-forth clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi along the Mediterranean coast.
Rebel authorities have called on oil workers to return to their jobs to get the country's economic lifeline flowing again but there are few signs of an imminent return to production, and many workers were too afraid to come back.
"A resumption of output in Libya is a possibility and will weigh on the market from the supply side," said MF Global analyst Tom Pawlicki in a report. (Editing by Manash Goswami)