SINGAPORE- Middle East crude benchmark Dubai remained unchanged on Wednesday, supported by Gunvor's purchases on the Platts window.

Gunvor received two October-loading cargoes following trades on the window, bringing its total purchase this month to five cargoes. Koch will deliver a Dubai crude cargo, while Exxon Mobil will deliver an Upper Zakum cargo.

Russian ESPO crude premiums, meanwhile, held steady despite a rise in exports in October. 

Gazprom Neft sold a 100,000-tonne cargo of ESPO Blend loading from Oct. 26 to 31 at a premium of $1.90-1.95 per barrel to October Dubai swaps to Chemchina, traders said. 

Surgutneftegaz sold a 100,000-tonne cargo loading in the end of October to Vitol at a premium of $1.80-1.90 per barrel, they added.

The October ESPO Blend loading plan was set at 3.2 million tonnes, up from 2.94 million tonnes in the September plan.

 

ASIA-PACIFIC CRUDE

PV Oil offered 300,000 barrels of Bach Ho light crude in a tender for Oct. 10-16 loading. The tender will close on Aug. 26 with bids valid until Aug. 31.

 

WINDOW

Cash Dubai's premium to swaps was unchanged at $2.10 a barrel.

Aramco Trading Company (ATC) will be participating in S&P Global Platts price assessment process for crude cargoes in Asia, the price reporting agency said on Wednesday. 

 

REFINERY

The fourth-largest U.S. refiner Phillips 66 on Tuesday said it has put the smaller of its two Louisiana refineries up for sale amid continued losses and an uncertain future for motor fuels.

NEWS

Prices of heavy sour crude oil grades have been rising in the U.S. Gulf Coast, traders said, as the market braces for a disruption of supplies from Mexico in the wake of a fire that has cut state-run Pemex's oil output by about 25% since Sunday. 

Global commodities trader Trafigura's head of Africa energy trading, James Josling, has left the company, two sources close to the matter told Reuters. 

China National Petroleum Co (CNPC) said on Wednesday it plans for new shale oil production from formations within the area of the existing Daqing oilfield that will help replenish that site's diminishing output. 

Iraq on Tuesday approved BP Plc's plan to spin off its operations in the country, the government and BP said, as the British oil company looks to shift focus to low-carbon investments. 

India's July crude oil imports slumped to their lowest in a year, tanker arrival data from industry sources showed, and are likely to rebound in August as refiners are expected to boost runs after maintenance of units. 

(Reporting by Florence Tan and Olga Yagova; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) ((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))