The West African (WAF) crude market is still struggling, a trader said on Friday, as two oil majors added to a flurry of rare public offers for December loading cargoes on the Platts window.

Most West African crude trading takes place in term contracts or bilateral deals and it is relatively rare for companies to trade cargoes in the Platts window, a service run by oil-index publisher S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Equinor offered Angolan crude Girassol at dated Brent plus $2.30 a barrel on Thursday, lower than the $4.5 offer last heard earlier in the week.

Chevron offered Nigerian crude Escravos at dated Brent plus $4 a barrel, and another Nigerian grade Usan at dated Brent minus $1.20 a barrel, also likely lower than previous offers.

No bids emerged on Thursday.

WAF differentials have been under pressure in recent weeks, after rising to multi-month highs in early October, due to a jump in freight costs and a drop in refining margins

Meanwhile, both Nigeria and Angola are nursing considerable overhangs for November-loading cargoes; their December loading schedules came out a couple weeks ago.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Natalie Grover in London; editing by David Evans)