Inland grades WTI Midland was flat, while WTI at East Houston eased 5 cents.
U.S. crude's discount to international benchmark Brent widened marginally to as low as minus $4.09 a barrel. A wider discount typically makes U.S.-linked crudes more attractive to foreign buyers.
The voluntary output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, at the beginning of May is expected to help export demand for U.S. sour crude to Asia, analysts at Energy Aspects said.
"Demand for sours from PADD 3 refineries and for export will remain firms," the analysts said in a note.
* Light Louisiana Sweet for June delivery gained
10 cents at a midpoint of a $2.20 premium and was seen bid and
offered between a $2.00 and $2.40 a barrel premium to U.S. crude
futures
* Mars Sour gained 50 cents at a midpoint of a
50-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a 75-cent
and 25-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures ?
* WTI Midland was unchanged at a midpoint of a 85-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 60-cent and $1.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures ?
* West Texas Sour fell 25 cents at a midpoint of
a 45-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a
65-cent and 25-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures ?
* WTI at East Houston , also known as MEH, traded
betweena 75-cent and $1.25 a barrel premium to U.S. crude
futures ?
* ICE Brent July futures rose $2.80 to settle at $75.30 a barrel on Friday?.
* WTI June crude futures rose $2.78 to settle at $71.34 a barrel on Friday?.
* The Brent/WTI spread widened 2 cents to minus $3.99, after hitting a high of minus $3.91 and a low of minus $4.09. (Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio)
@ArathySom;))