Middle East Crude-Benchmarks plunge on weak sentiment; China may cut products export quota

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
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Reuters
SINGAPORE, April 20 (Reuters) - Middle East crude benchmarks plunged on Thursday amid thin trade as market sentiment remains dampened by sluggish refining margins. Spot premium for light sour Murban tumbled to $1.58 a barrel against Dubai quotes, a level last seen in late-August 2021. In tenders, Taiwan's Formosa bought 2 million barrels of Oman crude for June 20-July 20 delivery via a tender this week, at about $1.1 a barrel over Dubai quotes, trading sources said. Meanwhile, oil loadings from Russia's western ports in April will rise to the highest since 2019, above 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd), despite Moscow's pledge to cut output, trading and shipping sources said.


CHINA China may cut quotas for refined oil products exports in a second batch for 2023 as domestic demand improves while the need to boost its economy through oil products abates, a Reuters survey showed. The second batch of quotas for gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel exports could range between 8 million and 12 million tonnes, the survey of four state refining sources and three consultancies showed. SINGAPORE CASH DEALS


Cash Dubai's premium to swaps fell 31 cents to $1.46 a barrel.
Seller-Buyer Price EXXONMOBIL-VITOL 81.70 PETROCHINA-PHILLIPS 66 81.70 PETROCHINA-VITOL 81.70 EXXONMOBIL-VITOL 81.70 PETROCHINA-PHILLIPS 66 81.70 EXXONMOBIL-GLENCORE 81.70 EXXONMOBIL-VITOL 81.70 PETROCHINA-GUNVOR 81.74 PETROCHINA-VITOL 81.70 EXXONMOBIL-VITOL 81.75 EXXONMOBIL-GLENCORE 81.70 PETROCHINA-VITOL 81.75 PETROCHINA-GLENCORE 81.70 EXXONMOBIL-VITOL 81.70


PRICES ($/BBL) CURRENT PREV SESSION DME OMAN 81.83 83.61 DME OMAN DIFF TO DUBAI 1.59 1.83 CASH DUBAI 81.70 83.55


NEWS Pakistan has placed its first order for discounted Russian crude oil under a new deal struck between Islamabad and Moscow, the country's petroleum minister said, with one cargo to dock at Karachi port in May. U.S. crude oil inventories last week fell more than forecast as refinery runs and exports rose, while gasoline stockpiles jumped unexpectedly on disappointing demand, Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. Residual fuel oil stocks at key trading hub Singapore held steady this week, while net imports more than doubled after extending a slide for three straight weeks, official data showed on Thursday. Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil has bought into insurance company GARDIA, a former subsidiary of AIG , one of the world's biggest commercial insurers, GARDIA said earlier this week.


For crude prices, oil product cracks and refining margins, please click on the RICs below.
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Fuel oil crack Gasoil crack Naphtha crack Complex refining margins (Reporting by Muyu Xu; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)


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