Thursday, Sep 08, 2011

(Adds Kirkuk crude prices paragraphs seven and eight.)

By Hassan Hafidh

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

AMMAN (Dow Jones)--Iraq has raised the official selling prices of its Basra Light crude for October to the all buyers, the State Oil Marketing Organization, or SOMO, said Thursday.

For Kirkuk crude oil, Iraq has cut the price to customers in the U.S. and increased the price for buyers in Europe, SOMO said.

Basra Light crude for European customers in October was raised by $1.05 a barrel to $3.00 a barrel below Dated Brent, up from minus $4.05 a barrel in September.

For buyers in the U.S., SOMO raised the price for October by $0.15 a barrel at $1.70 a barrel below the Argus Sour Crude Index, or ASCI, up from minus $1.85 a barrel in September, SOMO said.

Basra Light Crude October prices for delivery to customers in Asia were raised by $1.05 a barrel at $0.005 a barrel above Oman/Dubai quotes, up from $1.00 a barrel below Oman/Dubai in the previous month.

SOMO gave no explanation why it raised the Basra crude oil prices.

Iraq raised Kirkuk crude October prices to customers in Europe by $1.30 a barrel to $1.45 a barrel below Dated Brent, from minus $2.75 a barrel in September.

Kirkuk crude for U.S. buyers in October was cut by $0.10 a barrel to $0.10 a barrel over ASCI, down from $0.20 a barrel over ASCI in the previous month, the Iraqi oil marketing arm said.

-By Hassan Hafidh; Dow Jones Newswires; +962 799 831 831; hassan.hafidh@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

08-09-11 0907GMT