North Sea Crude-WTI Midland and Forties edge higher, Ekofisk falls

U.S. WTI Midland and North Sea Forties crude differentials edged higher on Monday on fresh trade in the Platts window, while firmer selling interest pushed Ekofisk differentials lower.

PLATTS WINDOW

* Indications are on a free-on-board (FOB) basis unless marked as cost, insurance and freight (CIF) or delivered at place (DAP).

* WTI Midland: Vitol bought a May 20-24 cargo from BP at dated Brent plus $1.55 CIF Rotterdam.

* Vitol also bought a May 15-19 cargo from Repsol at dated Brent plus $1.50 CIF Rotterdam.

* The deals equated to around dated plus 51 cents and dated plus 46 cents on a FOB basis, respectively, according to Reuters calculations.

* On Friday, Unipec had bought from BP CIF Rotterdam May 1-5 at dated Brent plus $1.50, and another cargo at the same price from Trafigura for May 7-11.

* WTI was the cheapest of the six grades that underpin the dated Brent benchmark on Monday, and therefore set its price.

* Forties: Vitol bought a May 14-16 cargo from BP at dated plus 50 cents.

* On Friday, BP had withdrawn an offer for the same dates at dated plus 40 cents.

* Ekofisk: Equinor offered a May 17-19 cargo at dated Brent plus $2.00.

* Ekofisk: In the previous session, Equinor had offered May 17-19 at dated Brent plus $2.30.

* Johan Sverdrup: Equinor offered three cargoes loading on May 11-13, May 16-18 and May 18-20, all at dated minus 75 cents on a one cancels the other basis.

* Johan Sverdrup: Equinor offered May 11-13 at dated Brent minus 50 cents.

* Johan Sverdrup is not one of the grades that underpins the dated Brent benchmark.