SINGAPORE - Qatar Petroleum (QP) has sold three cargoes of al Shaheen crude oil loading in January via a tender at an average premium of $0.34 a barrel to Dubai quotes, the lowest premium in eight months, trade sources said on Thursday.

Spot differentials for Middle East grades have dropped to multi-month lows because of ample supplies after U.S. waivers allowed Asian buyers to continue importing Iranian oil, and as other Middle East producers ramped up output.

QP sold the cargoes to Chinaoil, Shell and JX Nippon at a wide range of premiums between $0.10 and $0.55 a barrel, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The deals could not be independently verified.

QP has also set the term price for January-loading al-Shaheen crude at a premium of $0.51 a barrel, the sources said.

(Reporting by Florence Tan Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) ((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; +65 6870 3497; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))