MOSCOW, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Urals crude oil differentials in
northwest Europe firmed to dated Brent on Thursday on refreshed
demand for February cargoes of the grade.
* Urals differentials firmed along with North Sea grades on
the
back of higher demand from Baltic refiners, traders said.
* Market participants expected Russia's Surgutneftegaz
to issue another spot tender on Friday as the producer had a
couple of unplaced cargoes loading in the end of February.
PLATTS WINDOW
* Shell bid for 100,000 tonnes of Urals loading from
Primorsk port
on Feb. 14-18 at dated Brent minus $1.30 per barrel, some 50
cents per barrel, but failed to find a seller.
* There were no bids or offers for Urals oil loading from
Novorossiisk, CPC Blend or Azeri BTC in the Platts window on
Thursday.
RELATED NEWS
* Russia's oil and condensate production rose to 11.28
million
barrels per day on Jan. 1-29 from 11.26 million barrels per day
on average in December, two industry sources familiar with the
data told Reuters.
* Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft faces
claims
of up to $1 billion related to contaminated oil, more than
double its own estimates, industry sources said, setting the
stage for protracted haggling with oil suppliers.
(Reporting by Olga Yagova; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
