US Cash Crude-Grades mixed on weakened refinery demand, lower rig count

Reuters · 09/27 20:38
US Cash Crude-Grades mixed on weakened refinery demand, lower rig count

- U.S. cash grades were mixed on Friday, dealers said, as refining demand is set to fall while the domestic oil rig count also dipped.

U.S. oil refiners are expected to have about 1.09 million barrels per day (bpd) of capacity offline in the week ending Sept. 27, decreasing available refining capacity by 79,000 bpd, research company IIR Energy said on Friday.

Offline capacity is expected to rise to 1.18 million bpd in the week ending Oct. 4 and then fall to 926,000 in the subsequent week, IIR added.

Meanwhile, U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a second week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes BKR.O said in its closely followed report on Friday.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by one to 587 in the week to Sept. 27, the lowest since early September.

Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by four to 484 this week, their lowest since early September.

That was the first time drillers cut oil rigs since mid-August and was the most oil rigs cut in a week since late June.

* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for November delivery gained 12.5 cents at a midpoint of a $2.50 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $2.30 and $2.70 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* Mars Sour WTC-MRS was unchanged at a midpoint of a $1.10 discount and was seen bid and offered between a $1.20 and $1.00 a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI Midland WTC-WTM was unchanged at a midpoint of a 60-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 50-cent and 70-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS fell 5 cents at a midpoint of a 15-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between discount of 30 cents and parity to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.35 and $1.55 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* ICE Brent November futures LCOc1 rose 38 cents to settle at $71.98 a barrel on Friday.

* WTI November crude CLc1 futures rose 51 cents to settle at $68.18 a barrel.

* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 narrowed last to minus $3.93, after hitting a high of minus $3.70 and a low of minus $3.99.


(Reporting by Georgina McCartney in Houston; Editing by Richard Chang)

((Georgina.McCartney@tr.com))