SINGAPORE- Middle East crude benchmarks Oman and Dubai held steady on Tuesday.

Unipec bought a cargo of Upper Zakum crude, loading Oct. 1-25, from ExxonMobil at a discount of 75 cents to Dubai quotes.

India's HPCL is seeking October-loading Murban or Das Blend crude via a tender to be closed on Friday.

Thailand's IPRC closed its monthly tender seeking sweet crude for delivery over Oct. 20-Nov. 10, with bids valid till Wednesday.

Taiwan's CPC also closed its monthly sweet crude tender for November delivery, with bids valid till Thursday.

 

RUSSIAN CRUDE:

Gazprom Neft offered a cargo of ESPO Blend crude loading Oct. 4-14 via a tender closing on Tuesday.

Rosneft cancelled a tender selling an ESPO Blend crude cargo loading Sept. 25-30.

 

REFINERY

Fuel supplier Ampol Ltd reported an 11% fall in first-half profit on Tuesday, hurt by a slump in refining margins and fuel demand due to coronavirus-induced lockdowns and the collapse of international travel. 

 

NEWS

Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports to China fell in July, taking it out of the top two supplier slots for the first time in two years, after a historic production cut to cope with a plunge in fuel demand and prices that was by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Guyana has re-launched a search for a company to market the government's share of the crude produced at the offshore Liza project, operated by Exxon Mobil Corp, according to a notice published in the South American country's newspapers. 

Energy companies moved to cut production at U.S. Gulf Coast oil refineries on Monday after shutting 82% of the area's offshore crude oil output as back-to-back storms took aim at the coast. 

Offshore U.S. cash crude prices gained with production shut ahead of tropical storms Laura and Marco, while a key Houston grade could weaken as refiners cut operations as a precaution, trade sources said on Monday. 

Nigeria will export six cargoes of Bonny Light in October, including two deferred cargoes from September, a loading programme showed. 

(Reporting By Shu Zhang, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) ((shu.zhang@thomsonreuters.com; +65-6870-3549; Reuters Messaging: Twitter @shuzhang4))