(Adds comment from spokeswoman, context)
By Liz Hampton
HOUSTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - British oil company BP Plc has loaded a cargo of Alaskan North Slope (ANS) crude forexport, according to two trade sources and Reuters Trade Flowsdata, the latest indication that exports of Alaskan crude arebecoming less rare.
The crude loaded on the Cascade Spirit, a Bahamas-flaggedSuezmax tanker. While its destination was not immediately clear,the vessel is currently moving in the North Pacific Oceantowards Asia, according to Reuters Vessel Tracking data.
A spokeswoman for BP declined to comment on the cargo.
In July, BP confirmed it had chartered the Tianlong Spirit,another Bahamas-flagged Suezmax ship, for the export of AlaskanNorth Slope crude.
ANS is almost exclusively transported to refineries on theU.S. West Coast using U.S. flagged vessels owned by BP,ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil that comply withdomestic maritime laws.
The flurry of ANS exports this year, which include a smallshipment to Nicaragua and two vessels to Asia, underscores ashift underway in global trade flows, as producers of AlaskanNorth Slope crude eye new markets for their oil.
ANS had been excluded from the decades-long ban on exportingU.S. crude, which was lifted in December 2015. (Reporting by Liz Hampton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, BernardOrr)