Refinery slate to become lighter and sweeter

摘要

Refiners can look forward to a higher quality crude slate in 2006,after years of an increasingly heavy sour mix.Rising non-Opec supply and new Opec capacity is expected to provide more light and medium sweet crudes next year,reversing the recent trend towards heavy sour crudes.World crude supply has become heavier and higher in sulphur content over the past five years,as output of light sweet crudes from OECD countries has declined,while production of medium and heavy sour crude from Russia and the Middle East has increased.