CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Canadian cash crudeprices weakened on Tuesday as planned and unplanned refinerymaintenance reduced demand, prompting some traders to predictfurther discounts ahead.
Western Canada Select heavy grade for October delivery lasttraded at $24.95 per barrel below the West Texas Intermediatebenchmark, according to Shorcan Energy brokers.
That compares with a settlement price of $24.40 per barrelbelow the benchmark on Monday.
BP Plc shut a fluidic catalytic cracking unit at its400,000 barrel per day Whiting, Indiana, refinery after the unitmalfunctioned, sources said.
Husky Energy Inc, meanwhile, has plannedmaintenance for September at its 82,000 bpd heavy oil upgraderin Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.
Some market participants said they expected seasonalmaintenance to weigh further on prices in coming weeks.
"Inside of $25 (below WTI) is expensive. I am surprised itgot to that point because of the turnarounds," one Calgary-basedcrude trader said.
Suncor Energy Inc also has planned maintenance onone of its oil sands upgraders near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Lastweek the company said the 240,000 barrel per day unit, whichconverts mined bitumen into refinery ready-synthetic crude,would be partially closed for up to five weeks.
Despite that outage, light synthetic crude from the oilsands for October delivery weakened slightly to last trade at$1.40 per barrel below WTI, compared with a settlement price of$1.25 per barrel below the benchmark on Monday.
Synthetic prices have fallen from a premium to WTI since acoker at Syncrude's northern Alberta oil sands project came backonline at the end of last month, boosting supply.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc started planned maintenanceat its 100,000 barrel-per-day Scotford, Alberta, refinery, whichruns light synthetic crude.