Middle East crude benchmarks for Dubai, Oman and Murban werelittle moved on Friday, after Qatar issued its January tenders.
QatarEnergy sharply cut the term price for al-Shaheen crude oil loading in January, trade sources said on Friday, in line with a recent fall in Middle East spot premiums.
The January term price fell to 73 cents a barrel above Dubai quotes, the sources said, down for a second straight month and at a multi-month low. The sources declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak with the media.
The term price for December cargoes was at a premium of $1.93 a barrel.
For its January tender, QatarEnergy sold five cargoes at premiums between 40 and 70 cents a barrel to Dubai quotes, the sources said.
Japanese refiner Eneos 5020.T bought two cargoes, while Exxon Mobil XOM.N, TotalEnergies TTEF.PA, and Unipec took one each, they added.
SINGAPORE CASH DEALS
Cash Dubai’s premium to swaps rose 1 centto $0.57 a barrel.
ExxonMobil will deliver a January-loading Upper Zakum crude cargo to TotalEnergies following the deals.
Trafigura will deliver a January-loading Al Shaheen crude cargo to TotalEnergies following the deals.
P66 will deliver a January-loading Oman crude cargo to TotalEnergies following the deals.
PTT will deliver a January-loading Upper Zakum crude cargo to TotalEnergies following the deals.
REFINERY
Top U.S. refiners kept focused on shareholder returns with hefty stock buybacks and dividends in the third quarter even though profits fell due to weakening fuel demand and refining margins.
NEWS
China’s refinery throughput in October fell 4.6% from last year, down from theyear earlier for a seventh month, as plant closures offset the ramp-up of a newly started complex and demand from holiday travel, official data showed on Friday.
Oil and gas majors TotalEnergies TTEF.PA, BP BP.L, Shell SHEL.L and Equinor EQNR.OL pledged on Friday to invest $500 million to increase access to affordable energy, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, south and southeast Asia.
Shale producer Ovintiv OVV.N said on Thursday it was acquiring oil assets from Paramount Resources POU.TO for $2.38 billion in cash, expanding its presence in Canada’s Montney shale play.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Siyi Liu in Singapore; Editing by Shreya Biswas)