Middle East Crude-Benchmarks slip for fourth session; Iraq offers Basra

Middle East Crude-Benchmarks slip for fourth session; Iraq offers Basra

SINGAPORE- Middle East crude benchmarks Oman and Dubai slipped for a fourth consecutive session on Friday despite robust demand from TotalEnergies on Platts window. Iraq's SOMO has issued a tender to sell 2 million barrels of Basra Medium crude and 1 million barrels of Basra Heavy crude for March loading. Aramco Trading has sold a Khafji crude cargo loading in March to an Indian refiner at a Dubai-linked price, a trader said. REFINERY Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) on Thursday signed a long-term crude supply contract with Shell as part of its acquisition of the Deer Park refinery in Texas. Shell said on Wednesday it plans to carry out major maintenance work at its Pernis oil refinery in the Netherlands in the coming five months. NEWS Refiners globally are reaping the highest profits from gasoil production in years on stronger than expected demand and tight supplies despite concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant's impact on the world economy. U.S. crude exports are ramping up due to increasing demand from Asia and Europe and recovering U.S. production from the lows of the coronavirus pandemic. A Japanese-Australian venture producing hydrogen from brown coal is set to start loading its maiden