SINGAPORE: The Asia-Pacific crude market held steady on Thursday as traders awaited the results of import tenders to gauge direction for January trading.
Several December-loading cargoes were still uncommitted. Malaysia's Petronas this week offered Kikeh to some buyers, but it was unclear if a deal had been done.
The state-owned company did not offer its new grade Kimanis to the market for December loading, another trader said.
Thailand's PTT had yet to award a tender to buy 600,000 to 1 million barrels of crude for delivery to the IRPC refinery in early January.
The results of import tenders by Indonesia's Pertamina and Indian Oil Corp seeking sweet crude were expected on Friday.
Asian buyers of condensate said they would be wary of taking cargoes of the ultra-light oil that BHP Billiton plans to export from the Gulf of Mexico without explicit approval from the U.S. government.
BHP Billiton sold a 650,000-barrel cargo to Vitol, traders said. The trading firm had yet to place the cargo, which would most likely be shipped to Europe, traders said.
Gunmen seized Libya's major El Sharara oilfield, looting equipment and shooting as workers sought shelter, oil sources said. The closure will lower the OPEC member's oil production, last reported at around 800,000 bpd, by at least 200,000 bpd.
Brent-Dubai Exchange of Futures for Swaps (EFS), or Brent's premium to Dubai swaps, widened 9 cents to $1.76 a barrel.
MARKET NEWS
China's major commodity imports are likely to have declined in October from September, hit by a range of factors including the week-long Oct. 1-8 National Day holiday as well as a seasonal lull and slower economic growth.
Spanish oil firm Repsol posted a 41 percent rise in underlying third-quarter net profit on Thursday, boosted by a sharp improvement in refining margins, lower financial costs and a recovery in production in Libya.
India's ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp, is looking to buy a stake in the assets of Africa-focused exploration company Tullow Oil, a source with direct knowledge of matter said.
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