West Africa Crude-Nigeria's February programmes start to emerge

LONDON: Spot activity was thin on Friday as traders started to receive Nigeria's February loading programmes and awaited several tender results.

ANGOLA

State firm Sonangol sold its final cargo on Friday, a cargo of Pazflor that was earlier offered at dated Brent minus 50 cents a barrel. Buyer and price details did not immediately emerge.

Less than 10 cargoes remained available from the January programme, with the February schedule expected to come out on Monday.

NIGERIA

The February Qua Iboe programme emerged on Friday and is set to be lower than January with seven cargoes, or about 238,000 barrels per day (bpd), including two cargoes deferred from January.

Usan and Yoho programmes also emerged. The Agbami programme came out with seven cargoes in February, as in January, but the barrel-per-day count is higher owing to the shorter month at 244,000 bpd.

The Escravos February schedule has six cargoes, including one partial of 500,000 barrels, or about 188,000 bpd, compared with six cargoes in January at 163,000 bpd.

Close to 25 cargoes were still left from the January programme.

TENDERS

Indian MRPL's tender closed on Thursday, but results had not yet emerged.

Indian HPCL's tender is due to close next week.

Thailand's IRPC issued a buy tender for a 300,000 to 1 million barrel cargo of light, sweet crude that closes on Dec. 18.