The North Sea crude market is tightening as shipments leave the region and maintenance curbs supply. Upcoming field and pipeline maintenance has curbed the availability of North Sea benchmark crudes. The Nexen-operated Buzzard field, the largest single contributor to the Forties stream, will shut for 35 days of maintenance from 17 September. The shutdown will depress Forties loadings to just 280,000 b/d in September and 339,000 b/d in October, down from 368,000 b/d in August. The absence of heavy sour Buzzard will help make Forties lighter and sweeter for a short period of time.
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