Oil holds above $51 as traders search for floor

By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - Oil held above $51 a barrel on Thursday, supported by a surprise drop in U.S. inventories, as bulls and bears searched for a floor to the market's second-biggest rout. Crude halted a four-session decline on Wednesday after U.S. crude stockpiles fell and as data showed that the U.S. economy remained resilient amid slowing global growth. Brent crude rose 20 cents to $51.35 by 0621 ET. It dropped as low as $49.66 on Wednesday, the lowest since April 29, 2009.