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SINGAPORE, Aug 2 (Reuters) Gold rose to its highest level in two weeks on Wednesday because of firm crude oil prices, gains in Japanese futures and a volatile U.S. dollar.

-- Spot gold hit a high of $647.25 an ounce and hovered around $647.00/648.00 an ounce by 0057 GMT, up from $646.70/647.70 late in New York on Tuesday, when the metal rose nearly 2 percent.

-- Resistance was pegged around $650 an ounce, a level last seen in July.

-- Benchmark gold futures on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange rose 44 yen gram to 2,404 yen, tracking gains in New York's COMEX market.

-- U.S. crude oil futures rose for a third day, edging above $75 on conflict in the Middle East and expected drops in oil stocks in the United States, the world's largest energy consumer.

-- Platinum rose to $1,246/1,251 an ounce from late New York levels of $1,244/1,248 an ounce.

-- Sister metal palladium gained to $319/324 from $316/321.

-- Silver inched up to $11.72/11.80 an ounce from $11.68/11.78 late in New York.

-- The dollar was quoted at 114.46 yen , down slightly from levels in late U.S. trading and within sight of a three-week low near 114.20 yen hit on Monday.

-- The euro was lower at $1. 2819 .

Precious Metals Prices by 0045 GMT* Metal Last Net change Pct Move Gold 647.00 0.30 +0.05 Platinum 1246.00 2.00 +0.16 Palladium 319.00 3.00 +0.95 Silver 11.72 0.04 +0.34 Change so far in 2006 Metal Latest bid End prev year Pct Move Gold 647.00 517.20 +25.10 Platinum 1246.00 968.00 +28.72 Palladium 319.00 254.00 +25.59 Silver 11.72 8.81 +33.03 * The closing prices used to calculate the net change may differ from New York's last quoted prices.

REUTERS VJ BST0702