Canadian crude exports out of US Gulf terminals are primed to soar in October as production cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia stoke overseas demand, while US refinery maintenance means more of the oil is freed up for shipment.
(Bloomberg) — Canadian crude exports out of US Gulf terminals are primed to soar in October as production cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia stoke overseas demand, while US refinery maintenance means more of the oil is freed up for shipment.
Shipments are expected to reach 11 million barrels next month, the second-highest on record, according to traders involved in the market, who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s almost a sixfold jump from September’s exports. Volumes have soared as refineries in the US, typically the biggest takers of heavy Canadian crude, carry out planned maintenance and consume less oil, freeing more barrels for buyers in Asia and Europe.
Less demand from US refineries coincides with the end of maintenance season at Alberta’s oil fields, bringing back output that was down for part of summer. The extra volume comes amid a supply squeeze around the world after Saudi Arabia and Russia curtailed production, upending flows and boosting Canadian oil prices. Canadian crude earlier this week hit the narrowest discount to Nymex West Texas Intermediate futures in two months, according to Link Data Services.
Oil sands barrels, produced in landlocked Alberta, reach the water via an intricate web of pipelines that cross the US to ports in Texas, and from there is shipped to refineries in China, India and Spain. The oil, heavy and sulfurous in quality, is a favored type by US fuelmakers, but seasonal refinery work is freeing more barrels for markets outside North America. BP Plc’s Whiting refinery, one of the largest users of Canadian oil in the US, will curtail intake amid maintenance that’s expected to last through late October.
Barrels loading in October start arriving in India in November, when the country celebrates Diwali, the festival of lights that drives consumer spending and fuel consumption.
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