WTI Midland weakened 5 cents to a midpoint of $1.75, its weakest since Jan. 26. The grade has been mostly edging down since Feb. 14, when it traded at a $2.70 premium.
U.S. crude's discount to Brent narrowed on Friday to as much as minus $5.96 a barrel, the most since Feb. 3. A narrower discount makes U.S.-linked grades less attractive to foreign buyers.
U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a third week in a row for the first time since August, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.
U.S. oil rigs fell eight to 592 this week, their lowest since September, while gas rigs rose three to 154.
* Light Louisiana Sweet for April delivery rose 15 cents to a midpoint of $3 and traded between $2.90 and $3.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures .
* Mars Sour rose 10 cents to a midpoint of minus 50 cents and traded between a 60 cent and 40 cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures .
* WTI Midland fell 5 cents to a midpoint of $1.75 and traded between $1.65 and $1.85 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures .
* West Texas Sour was unchanged at a midpoint of minus 75 cents, trading between a $1.50 a barrel discount and flat to U.S. crude futures .
* WTI at East Houston, also known as MEH, traded at $1.95 over WTI.
* ICE Brent May futures rose $1.08 to settle at
$85.83 a barrel.
* WTI April crude futures rose $1.52 to settle at
$79.68 a barrel.
* The Brent/WTI spread narrowed to as high as
minus $5.96 and as low as minus $6.44.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York
Editing by Matthew Lewis)
