US west coast needs a marker

摘要

The US west coast crude market is without a benchmark price,as oil floods in to replace lost medium sour Alaskan North Slope (ANS) production.Spot trade for ANS stopped before pipeline corrosion forced BP to shut half of the 400,000 b/d Prudhoe Bay field (AGM,14 August,p2).The last deal was done on 21 June and ANS is unlikely to trade soon.Prudhoe Bay output is at 150,000 b/d,and field partners Conoco-Phillips and ExxonMobil have declared force majeure on Alaskan supply.