US Cash Crude-Grades up as Storm Francine and a dip in US stocks tighten supply
Sept 10 (Reuters) -U.S. crude grades broadly rose on Tuesday, dealers said, as Tropical Storm Francine caused operators to shut in a quarter of offshore production in the Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. crude stocks fell according to API data.
Francine was intensifying and on track to become a hurricane on Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, prompting oil and gas companies to shut in Gulf of Mexico production.
Energy companies shut-in 412,070 barrels per day of oil production, about 24% of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico production, and evacuated staff from 130 production platforms, the U.S. offshore regulator Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories fell while distillates rose last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.
The API figures showed crude stocks fell by 2.793 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 6, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories fell by 513,000 barrels, and distillates rose by 191,000 barrels.
In refining news, Exxon Mobil Corp XOM.N was planning to cut production at its 522,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Baton Rouge to as low as 20% of the capacity, Louisiana refinery on Tuesday before Francine is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, said two people familiar with plant operations.
* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for October delivery gained 3 cents at a midpoint of a $2.03 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $1.75 and $2.30 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* Mars Sour WTC-MRS gained 10 cents at a midpoint of a 70-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a 80-cent and 60-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* WTI Midland WTC-WTM was unchanged at a midpoint of a 80-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 70-cent and 90-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS gained 7 cents at a midpoint of a 13-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 45 cents and 20-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.40 and $1.60 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* ICE Brent November futures LCOc1 fell $2.65 to settle at $69.19 a barrel on Tuesday.
* WTI October crude CLc1 futures fell $2.96 to settle at $65.75 a barrel on Tuesday.
* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened last to minus $3.93, after hitting a high of minus $3.85 and a low of minus $4.10.
Reporting by Georgina McCartney in Houston
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