US prices take a fall

摘要

Crude prices fell sharply in the US,although strengthening refining margins prompted a number of grades to gain relative to benchmark values.Atlantic basin marker North Sea Dated dropped by$1.32/bl to$104.46/bl,while US benchmark September WTI lost$3.90/bl to$98.17/bl. Buying interest in North Sea crudes rose,and Total bought 10 August-loading cargoes of Norwegian light sweet grade Ekofisk.The grade has rebounded from seven-and-a-half-year lows relative to North Sea Dated in mid-July.But its premi-ums to the benchmark are still more than$1.30/bl lower than they were in late June,as lower refinery throughputs have weighed on demand.