US Cash Crude-Grades mixed on first day of October trade
Aug 26 (Reuters) -U.S. crude differentials were mixed on Monday, the first day of trading for October delivery after a volatile cash roll period.
U.S. crude inventories were expected to have fallen by about 3 million barrels last week, according to a Reuters poll.
Also on the supply side, Libya's eastern-based government announced the closure of all oil fields on Monday, halting production and exports.
Refiners that usually import light sweet crude could look to replace Libya's Sharara with U.S. WTI Midland, among other grades, trade sources said.
Oil major Shell said on Monday it plans to shut portions of its Zydeco pipeline system for maintenance for three to four days starting Sept. 24, limiting flows of some light crude to Louisiana.
The pipeline shut-in will reduce the amount of light crude supplied into Louisiana, where it becomes a part of the Light Louisiana Sweet blend.
Light Louisiana Sweet's premium to WTI crude has largely remained narrow in recent days.
The pipeline also moves Poseidon crude from Houma, on the Louisiana coast, inland to the St. James crude hub that serves pipeline connecting to several oil refineries.
* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for October delivery gained 37.5 cents at a midpoint of a $1.75 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $1.35 and $2.15 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* Mars Sour WTC-MRS was unchanged at a midpoint of a $1.45 discount and was seen bid and offered between a $1.65 and $1.25 a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* WTI Midland WTC-WTM fell 15 cents to a midpoint of a 60-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 40-cent and 80-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS gained 25 cents at a midpoint of a parity and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 25 cents and 25-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.00 and $1.40 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* ICE Brent October futures LCOc1 rose $2.41 to settle at $81.43 a barrel on Monday.
* WTI October crude CLc1 futures rose $2.59 to settle at $77.42 a barrel on Monday .
* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 narrowed 8 cents to minus $4.19, after hitting a high of minus $3.93 and a low of minus $4.30.
Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; Editing by Richard Chang
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