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Prices for Caspian oil grades jump sustained by Libyan output blackouts

Prices for Caspian oil grades have skyrocketed in the Mediterranean market today, as traders look for options in a significantly tight market following the suspension of oil production in Libya, 5 traders told Reuters.

Libya's oil blockade started previously this week amid a. conflict in between eastern and western authorities over the. replacement of the reserve bank governor.

The absence of Libyan supply has actually supported costs of Caspian. barrels, which are of a similar quality.

Discounts for Kazakh CPC Blend narrowed to less than 30. cents per barrel to dated Brent, the traders said. The grade. usually trades at wider discount to the criteria, reaching. close to minus $2 per barrel earlier this month.

2 of the traders said that there were a number of deals of. CPC Blend oil cargoes at a premium to dated Brent, however no deals. have yet been heard at such levels.

Premiums for Azeri BTC firmed above $4 per barrel and were. moving towards $4.50 from around $2 per barrel early this month,. the traders stated.

CPC Blend light oil is primarily sourced by Kazakh oil. manufacturers and filled from Russia's Black Sea port of Yuzhnaya. Ozereyevka.

Azeri BTC is mainly sourced from Azerbaijan's oil fields and. provided by means of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline for filling. at Turkey's Ceyhan port.

CPC Blend differentials are also supported by the. expectation of lower than normal exports of the grade throughout the. fall months due to planned upkeep at the huge Kashagan. oil field.

CPC Blend exports will reach around 1.3 million barrels per.

(source: Reuters)