* China keeps interest rates unchanged
* GE to buy British oilfield services company for $1.3 bln
* Futures up: S&P 3.9 pts, Dow 38 pts, Nasdaq 4.75 pts
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, Dec 13 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were higher on Monday after China decided to leave interest rates unchanged.
* But China's central bank told six of the country's biggest lenders that a special increase in required reserves will be extended, the latest step to try to quell inflation, sources told Reuters.
* Further boosting equities, U.S. President Barack Obama's tax deal with Republicans will likely win grudging passage in the U.S. Congress, backers and critics said, despite the president's clash with liberals who branded it a giveaway to the rich.
* General Electric Co will buy British oilfield services company Wellstream Holdings Plc for about 800 million pounds ($1.3 billion) to expand its subsea equipment and services portfolio. GE shares were up 0.3 percent at $17.78 in premarket trade.
* U.S. Treasuries fell in Asia, with 10-year yields hitting a six-month high as investors dumped the debt on the back of higher growth and higher deficits in the United States.
* In other upbeat data from China over the weekend, industrial output in November beat expectations, sending copper to a record high. Also, Chinese inflation climbing to a 28-month high.
* S&P 500 futures rose 3.9 points and were slightly above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures gained 38 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 4.75 points.
* Oil futures rose 1.5 percent above $89 after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed over the weekend to keep crude oil output flat.
* The Financial Times reported that European officials are considering plans to overhaul the euro zone's 440 billion euro rescue fund and use it to buy bonds of distressed governments, making it easier to help debt-swamped countries without resorting to fully-fledged bailouts.
* Genzyme Corp will be in focus after Sanofi-Aventis extended its $18.5 billion cash offer until Jan. 21 and may prolong it longer, a sign the French drugmaker is prepared for a long battle.
* Wal-Mart Stores Inc is in advanced talks with New York's construction unions to get their backing for its first store in New York City, The Wall Street Journal reported.
* Grocery store chain Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co filed for bankruptcy protection as it struggled with a cash drain and a sluggish economic recovery.
* Private equity firm Carlyle Group's chief financial officer resigned, possibly delaying an initial public offering, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.
* U.S. stocks ended higher Friday, with the S&P 500 at its highest level since Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, and breaching technical levels that suggest the year-end rally will persist. The Dow posted two consecutive week of gains.