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CANADA-CRUDE-Heavy oil differential narrows a little

The discount rate on Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy unrefined versus the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) tightened on Friday:

* WCS for May delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $ 13.45 a barrel below WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, after closing at $13.60 a barrel listed below the criteria on Thursday.

* Canadian heavy crude differentials have reinforced this month on news that the 600,000 barrel-per-day Trans Mountain pipeline growth job is set to begin running on May 1.

* We anticipate the start-up of TMX ought to remove apportionment on the pipeline systems and cause refiners contending to buy heavy oil, BMO Capital Markets expert Randy Ollenberger stated in a note to customers.

* BMO stated the differential could fall listed below $10 a barrel, assisted by the ramp up of the Pemex Dos Bocas refinery in Mexico boosting need.

* Oil increased around 1% on geopolitical stress in the Middle East however published a weekly loss on a bearish world oil demand development forecast from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and stress over slower U.S. rates of interest cuts.

(source: Reuters)