UK Forties oil output below plan, delaying some cargoes

LONDON: The North Sea Forties crude stream is pumping less oil than expected, leading to delays in the loading of some cargoes of the crude, two trade sources said on Friday.

"Production is below plan," one of the sources said. "There are deferrals being offered."

Forties was originally scheduled to load 271,000 barrels per day in August, a lower-than-usual rate due to planned maintenance at offshore oilfields connected to the pipeline.

It is the largest of the four crude oil streams that underpin the Brent benchmark.